I just searched the forum for "bullying" and "bully" and was surprised not to "hit" any discussions on this topic. Although there may already be a post on this subject that I missed, I'll press ahead with starting a new thread on the matter. To only my closest girlfriends (my wife and gals on this forum) have I shared that I suffered incessant bullying all the way from elementary grade school through college due to my effeminate mannerisms. It didn't help that I am a ginger (red haired) which in and of itself draws considerable, and often, untoward attention. I can say all I want about "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me." But, that's not the truth...far from hit. For the longest time my self-esteem suffered due to the bullying. But, eventually, for reasons that I haven't sought to delve into, I began to have the highest self-respect for myself and my feminine nature. Maybe I just developed a "thick skin" but I think it's way more than that. I could talk on and on about this subject and how it affected me and how I continue to process it, but I'd rather step back for a bit and hear from other girls (cis and trans) on this forum who have experienced bullying and are comfortable sharing their insight, wisdom and feelings about it. Gosh, it feels good to share this although it also causes me to relive many painful experiences... Nikki
