Alex's Answer

Hi there,  

Thank you so much for reaching out to Ask Alex with your question, we know it can be a hard thing to do.  

You have asked how to deal with gender dysphoria, and you say that you are gender fluid. Is it that you are looking for support in coming out or talking about it or maybe you would like to know what supports are available if you have already come out as gender fluid?  

Have you spoken to anyone about gender dysphoria or being gender fluid before? This could be a friend, a teacher or another family member. Having someone to talk to about this can help with understanding ourselves further. It may seem like a scary thing to do; it may help to plan out how you think this conversation will go and express how you would like them to support you.   

You can find out some more information about understanding your gender identity here www.belongto.org/youngpeople/ . BelongTo also have some youth groups that might help you, this space is where young people of the LGBTQI+ community can meet up. Being a part of these groups may help you as there will be other young people who are in similar situations.  LGBT Ireland also provide online support to people all over Ireland, their website has a range of supports available and can be reached at www.lgbt.ie.  

There are some articles on the Childline website that you may find useful in helping you understand this area further such as: www.childline.ie/a-list-of-sexual-orientation-and-gender-identity-terms/ ; or if you are worried about how loved ones will respond you may find this article helpful: www.childline.ie/what-to-do-if-your-loved-ones-dont-accept-your-gender-identity/.  

If you feel like you would like someone to talk about this with you further or if you aren’t ready to talk to someone you know just yet, you can contact us here at Childline at any time. Childline is a non-judgmental and confidential listening service. We can be contacted by phone on 1800 66 66 66 or through the Live Chat on www.childline.ie.  You can start a chat at any time by clicking on the Orange Tab on the right-hand side of your screen.      

Take care of yourself, we would like to talk to you soon. 

Alex