Introduction to Hayes Mitchell, Author of ‘The Life: LGBT Mental Health’

I’m Hayes Mitchell, and I am excited to join The Life: LGBT Mental Health blog. I’m a mental health writer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in writing with a minor in psychology. I identify as queer and transgender (trans). I began discovering my identity back in high school. Today I’m 22 and still learning about myself every day. I’ve changed my labels many times over the years. I’ve identified as bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and demisexual. I tend to withhold telling people because when I change my mind, I don’t want them to discredit my past experience. Every one of those identities has been real to me at each point in my life. I believe in gender and sexuality as being a spectrum. Everyone exists somewhere on that spectrum.

The Identity and Labels of Hayes Mitchell

Labels can strengthen our character and help others understand us better. Labels can also confine us and may not always convey our experience the way we want it to. I know I’m queer, and sometimes that umbrella term is enough to convey my identity casually. But it isn’t always. Most days, when it comes to my gender identity, I’m very comfortably nonbinary trans-masculine. But the next day, on further thought, I’m most definitely a trans man. Then doubt fills my mind, and I take a step back on the gender spectrum.

I want to be understood. But step one is understanding myself. There are no steps to changing the way people perceive me. I’m still learning that. I can control how I present myself, but I cannot control how people assume my identity. I’m becoming more comfortable with my identity every day; I’ve been slowly increasing my testosterone and gaining confidence in telling new people my pronouns. Change comes slowly. Maybe that’s a good thing. I’m happy I can make change happen on my own, but the journey can be lonely.

Hayes Mitchell Offers a Queer Platform of Support for Good Mental Health

Learn more about me, here:

I want this platform to be a place where I can share my story, connect with other people, and provide a place of support and learning. As queer people, the adversity we face makes us prone to loneliness, anxiety, and depression. I will vocalize those feelings as I experience them and provide whatever advice I can offer. Sometimes just knowing you’re not alone in your experience is enough. I hope my words will reach you and make this blog a safe space.