My name is Hunter and yes I am a girl. Many do not always believe this and think I’m lying or assume it is a nick name but no this is my real name. From the moment I was born others always mistaken me as a boy, people going as far as to ask my parents why they had their little boy in pink. This has followed me and still does. Always one of the guys never one of the girls. I was raised a farm girl so in a way I was raised to act like a boy. What little girl is going to be fine sitting in the dirt at rodeos? I am an athlete and have always been. I would play sports with all the guys and be better than most so I became one of the guys. This is how I was seen and nothing more just a guy. But I am not a guy I am a girl and this has been terrible for my self-esteem. I never wanted to be seen like this. It hurts to be called a guy. Just because I am not scared to get dirty, can beat you at sports and don’t wear make-up does not make me a guy. Yes in front of people I can laugh it off and act like it doesn’t hurt, but in reality it does. I cannot begin to count the times it kept me awake at night crying to myself or how I became so shy I avoided everyone around me. And still this happens to me and I am seen as a guy. People can joke around near me and have fun but then when I think it is because I am a girl and you are just acting like a guy I learn it is because when I am around them I don’t even count a girl I’m just one of the guys. At least there is one person that sees me as a girl, someone who would never consider me a guy and that has helped but is not always enough. I know I am a girl but it will still always hurt to be called and compared to a guy.
