In this podcast Alex-Rae talks about being young and pansexual in 2012.
Summary
In the podcast titled "Alex-Rae - Q12," Alex-Rae engages in a candid discussion about their experiences as a young, pansexual individual in the 2010s. Recorded in Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand, Alex-Rae reflects on their journey with gender and sexual identity, personal growth, and societal interactions surrounding these aspects of their life.
Alex-Rae works in childcare and identifies as queer. They have had a varied taste in music but have a particular affinity for alternative rock. Detailing their background, Alex-Rae mentions that they were raised in Hamilton, ventured to Wellington for a short time, and have spent significant periods within the Waikato region. A complex family dynamic involving split custody among different families forms a notable part of their upbringing.
With a deeply personal narrative, Alex-Rae describes the discovery and acceptance of their gender identity and expression, discussing how they occasionally chose to bind and toyed with the idea of becoming a drag king. Their journey of sexual identification is also shared, where they have previously identified as bisexual and lesbian but have arrived at the pansexual identifier as a more encompassing representation of their attraction.
The support of Alex-Rae's family is crucial in the understanding and acceptance of their identity. Coming from a family with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including a lesbian grandmother and a transgender brother, Alex-Rae states that acceptance was ingrained from the start, requiring no coming-out process within their immediate family. However, their broader coming-out experiences to the community were less voluntary as they were outed at school, resulting in a mix of supportive and challenging encounters.
Alex-Rae's romantic life saw relationships with different genders, with a current long-term relationship that evolved as their partner transitioned from female to male. This transition helped Alex-Rae to solidify a pansexual identity, as their attraction remains strong regardless of their partner's gender transition.
Meeting others in the queer community was facilitated initially through the resource "Wacky," a youth mentor organization where Alex-Rae has been actively involved since 2009. Later interactions occur through venues such as the local gay club, Shine. Alex-Rae also reflects on social dynamics in different types of bars and the impact of gender and sexual identity on those interactions.
During the discussion, Alex-Rae acknowledges some difficulties faced due to their identities, particularly instances of exclusion and verbal abuse at school. While these negative experiences were significant, they were not as severe as other stories Alex-Rae has heard, and over time, they adopted a more resilient stance towards such adversity.
The podcast concludes with Alex-Rae pondering their definition of virginity and the varying dimensions of their queer identity and experiences. Despite the occasionally forced nature of their public coming-out due to media exposure, the support from their family and certain community segments has been a constant pillar for Alex-Rae.
This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.
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