“Growing Up Wrong You were not wrong in first grade when Jordan Marshall gave you an ultimatum and you chose to kiss him so he would finally stop chasing you. You were not wrong in fifth grade when you decided to explore your body in ways no one would talk about, even though your step-dad caught you and taunted you. You didn’t know what a lesbian was, but the way his accusations danced around you made you feel like it was the dirtiest thing you’d ever be called. You were not wrong in sixth grade when you wanted to go out with Derek Dunn, and his response was to tell the entire grade that you were too flat-chested, so he’d fuck you and run. You were not wrong in seventh grade when you pushed your boyfriend away every time he stuck his tongue in your mouth. You were not a bad girlfriend for trusting yourself more than you trusted him. You were not wrong in eleventh grade when you couldn’t stop thinking about Danielle Bakerson, about how your entire life changed when you saw her in the school play, even though your best friends abandoned you and made sure you knew you were a “disgusting lesbian.” You were not wrong in your final teenage year when you wanted to take your shirt off at the beach and change your name to reflect your essence, even though your childhood friends told you they didn’t agree with who you were as if your personhood were up for debate. You have never been wrong, for you have been taught that your body is not your own. You have been cornered and poked and prodded and shamed. You have been made to feel like you were made for someone else, for anyone else, for everyone else. But darling, you were made for you and those who made you feel otherwise have wronged you. ”