Photo courtesy of Romario Wanliss
However, he recalled one notable experience.
“ I remember one man who told me‘ If I ever see yuh inna pants again, mi ago kill yuh.’” he said.
That moment left him terrified to brave the streets for some time.
At home, Wanliss never felt pressured to be feminine. He said his father never had an issue. But that all changed when at age seven, Wanliss’ s stepmother came into the family’ s lives.
“[ My stepmother ] was the one who introduced religion into the household, and with that introduction it almost felt instantly oppressive, because now you have to carry yourself a certain way, you have to talk a certain way and, of course,
I didn’ t fall under that category … I think that brought on depression, which followed me all the way up into my adulthood, and ultimately led me to be a very reclusive person,” he said.
Bullied out of boyhood
Wanliss said the darkest times of his life involved school.
“ From kindergarten all the way up to high school, those were dark times in my life … Because I felt so bullied and I don’ t understand why I was bullied … I couldn’ t see my differences, because when you growing up, you just know yourself to be how you are. You don’ t question yourself unless other people start questioning you.”
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