I grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs during the 80s, a knockabout kid who was always a bit worried and generally a bit of a worry. My worry – to the point of fear – was that I could not see myself, let alone express myself, in a way that I knew to be real, and that in any sense – at that time – was acceptable. The Catholic schools, particularly the all-girls high school I attended, saw me as an outlier – certainly not acceptable to God – which meant I saw myself even more as a problem. It took another 15 years for me to finally figure out that I didn’t have a problem at all, I was just trans. The torment and distress I suffered through could have been avoided, if only more of the grown-ups around me knew that diversity is not only amazing, but an attribute of positivity and strength.