Telma Alves

Hey guys, my coming out started very early as in primary school I already had few mixed feelings for girls.

I always loved being surrounded by guys and dressing like them. At the age of 12, I kissed my first girlfriend. At the age of 15, I told my parents. My mom has always accepted me, but my dad doesn’t.

For 12 years now, my dad doesn’t talk to me as he can’t open his mind to this. I can’t ask anyone to accept me as I don’t think we have to be accepted for anything. We are humans. Girls or boys, white, brown, yellow, black, Catholic, Buddhist, Jewish, gay, hetero, lesbian, trans – we don’t choose what we are born or which religion your family follows. So, I don’t think we have anything to be accepted for. I love people for what they are. For me, even though I’m with a girl now, I don’t know if tomorrow I will fall in love with a boy. No one is free from love! Your heart doesn’t see if it is a boy or a girl, it just feels that that’s the one. 🙂

I found the love of my life at 16 years old, and now I’m turning 28 and we are still together. Eleven years have passed and I love that girl so much that I proposed and next year on our 12th anniversary we are getting married!

Don’t be afraid of showing people who you are, what you love. At the end, who really loves you will stand by your side. 🙂

At Foundever, we don’t just promote diversity, we embrace it! In honor of International Pride Month, we’re celebrating our uniqueness by sharing stories of pride, inclusiveness and daring to be different.