proudnbLabels and terminology are meant to help you find freedom and community. Use them to build a great life and change them out as needed.
The only constant is you, and even you will always be changing.
It's important to remember that gender and sexuality labels are not personalities.
There are gentle and sensitive masculine people (for example), as well as tough and coarse feminine individuals. One's sense of style can be influenced by their identities, but not necessarily ruled by them.
You have so much freedom in choosing labels. Don't let stereotypes scare you away from one that feels right.
Finding the perfect labels can be nice, but it's not necessary.
There are plenty of people who use labels that seem conflicting. There are others who prefer general terms over precision. Some folks mix it up.
The labels you apply to yourself should improve your life, not fence it in.
You can come out with labels that fit imperfectly.
Very few of us are completely certain about our labels, but it's okay to change them later.
Yes, some people might get confused. However, people are very adaptable. It's more important that you're comfortable.
So, someone (or some people) have said that they won't allow you to use the labels that you've chosen.
Well, what are they going to do? Reach into your brain and make you stop identifying as you do?
Ignore them. People like that will always find something to be angry about. Go live your life instead.
Don't worry too much about what others think of your labels.
Much of the infighting and discussion about who gets to use which labels in what way is restricted to the anonymity of the internet.
There are exceptions, of course, but out in the world most people are far more relaxed.
It's possible to go through many labels without yourself changing fundamentally along the way.
We might have a lot more words today to describe ourselves, but none of them are perfect. "Self discovery" can be primarily a struggle with language.
Keep trying stuff out for as long as that helps you.
The way you use labels will be different than how otherd use those very same labels.
You might use a set of labels that some view as incompatible. Your definition of a term (or interpretation of it) could be fundamentally opposed to how another understands it. There are possibly endless opportunities for confusion.
Labesl are as varied as those that use them, and that's a good thing. It shows that labels exist to serve you, not the other way around.
It's okay to have figured things out later in life, or to still be figuring it out.
It's fine to still be experimenting well past your 30s, 60s, even 90s and beyond.
It's what life is about. As long as you're alive there will always be new questions and new adventures.
No matter what steps you're taking to live as your true self, you would probably like to skip to the end right now. Most of us would rather wake up and have the coming out, label picking, changing, surgery, etc. parts magically complete.
However, this is the first time you will take these steps. You might not come out again to certain people, go through the first changes from hormones, or experience the excitement of the right label quite like this again.
As difficult as it is, these are powerful moments. Try to acknowledge the wonder in them while they last.