I have never been attracted to a man. I am simply a fan and an admirer of beauty, so I appreciate a handsome man. As if it is an addiction, they often ask me, “When did you come into this life? How did you come into this life?” Of course, when my first close friend – the woman I loved without realizing it – told me “I am a lesbian”… it was also the first question I asked. And I decided to distance myself from her; consciously choosing to stay away from her. But my love for her made it impossible to walk away. At the time, I didn’t recognize it as love; so I thought I would simply remove myself from that life. Our friendship continued, but it did not last. It eventually turned into love. We both fall deeply in love! She became the first woman to kiss my lips.

Ignorance, youth, and societal reflections prevented me from understanding the truth, but I should have known about my attraction to women at a much younger age. In seventh grade, our teacher brought in a girl from another school who was stunning, admired by both men and women alike! I was in love but deceived myself into thinking it was platonic. My two best friends even confronted me, saying, “You don’t just like her; you are in love with her.” I was angry at them and even fought with them, but they were right! I had feelings that were more than friendship.

Then, at 16, that woman who revealed her identity to me by saying, “I am a lesbian” came into my life and helped me realize who I truly was. She taught me how to love myself and understand that I am a woman who loves women. The idea of being together came from me, not her.

The power of her love helped me abandon all the misconceptions imposed by my culture, religion, family, and society regarding this issue. She showed me that loving a woman as a woman—or a man as a man—is not a disease or an addiction that will fade over time, but rather an identity. Now, even though we are no longer together, she remains a woman I will always be grateful for.