In this podcast [name withheld] talks about being young and bicurious in 2012.
Summary
In this podcast from the Q12 series, recorded on September 12, 2012, in Manawatū, New Zealand, the anonymous speaker shared insights into their experiences with identity exploration and self-discovery during their final year of high school. The individual described a life spent in Palmerston North, marked by a sense of restlessness and the desire to travel before making any firm decisions about attending university.
During the discussion, the speaker openly reflected on their exploration of sexuality, and recounted a significant relationship with a same-sex friend that evolved into a year-and-a-half-long romantic partnership. This relationship catalyzed a public revelation of their attraction to the same sex, despite the subsequent labeling by peers. With time, the speaker began considering the possibility of also being attracted to other genders, landing on the term "bicurious" as a current descriptor for their feelings.
The person was also candid about their gender identity as female, expressing a versatile sense of style that fluctuated between feminine and tomboyish. Furthermore, they articulated a sense of cultural anonymity, feeling disconnected from the strong cultural identities of friends, including Māori tradition and customs, while only identifying broadly as a Kiwi.
The speaker's story unfolded in the context of their educational journey where they pursued interests in art and photography, though they experienced a sense of disenchantment with school in their last year. A gap year to work and escape academic pressures was the immediate plan post-graduation.
They also outlined their relationship with their family, indicating comfort and openness with friends and one part of their family, whereas the relationship with their father's side remained concealed due to religious reasons. When sharing their experience with their friends, support was the prevailing response, illustrating a reliable network that facilitated the young person’s navigation through their self-discovery.
The podcast further touched on their involvement in the local LGBTIQ community through a space known as "Closet Space," which offered solace and connection but at the same time was challenging to locate initially due to its low-profile nature. The speaker commented on how this mirrored underground gay clubs pre-law reform, emphasizing a history where same-sex relationships were clandestinely conducted.
In terms of adversity, the speaker experienced bullying and aggression, including stone-throwing, following the public acknowledgement of their same-sex relationship at school. However, these incidents were mainly dismissed and eventually subsided.
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.
Tags
Tags (computer generated)
attraction, closet, clubs, community, culture, customs, dating, effeminate, emotional, expression, finances, food, fun, gay, gender, gender identity, god, job, language, law, lgbt, library, masculine, other, people, photography, podcast, queen, rainbow, rainbow youth, role playing, security, sexuality, space, study, stuff, support, teacher, time, tomboy, tough, travel, university, walking, wellington, work, writing, youth