You remind me that growing up queer means learning not to respect the rules. Miss learning how to break some, either covertly or overtly. It often means learning that lying is a virtue sometimes.

These are side effects of societal repression and oppression. And the side effects are probably not always good, but I think they often are.

I grew up having to hide myself, even in my early adult career when I was a military officer. I lied to obtain a security clearance, and I'm proud that I lied. I'm proud that I resisted. I'm proud that I refuse to just take it lying down.

I'm not saying my experiences are exactly parallel to yours or anything like that. But it's interesting to think about.

Who would I be today if I had gone along with societal norms? What would I be like if I didn't consider rule-breaking to be a virtue?

I don't know, but I thank you for your thought-provoking story!