It's really difficult to talk about, especially if you aren't heterosexual. At school, I could never get changed in front of other girls without getting really nervous. I distanced myself from other people because I was worried about what they would say. My father thought I was lying and just trying to be 'cool'.

They took my happiness away and made me feel like I was small and insignificant. People always tried to tell me that it would get better, that there was a light at the end of the tunnel. But I never believed them – instead, I always believed the people that threw words at me like they didn’t hurt.