My introduction
Hey ReachOut forum dwellers,
For the sake of privacy, you can call me Platinum. In 2025, I'm going into year eleven, meaning stuff is about to get real. I love Pokémon (the video games and the card game), Sonic (films and games). I'm a massive Heartstopper fan as well - it brings me comfort and joy when I've had a bit of a rough day. I'm a gay male. I've known for a while. I won't talk about how I found it until a later time, but needless to say, I don't really like girls romantically (sorry).
As for the icky stuff, I live in a rural area. This means that the culture and attitudes are much different compared to other areas. In year nine, I went through a lot of bullying (for no actual reason, I kid you not). It's a bit of why I'm here on ReachOut to begin with - to help get over it if possible, as well as to help others deal with their bullying issues too. I also deal with insomnia, which I see as a blessing and a curse.
Going back to the good stuff and ending on a lighter note, I hope to make a lot of friends here. Thanks guys, and see you around!
Comments
Hello Platinum!
Welcome to ReachOut, it's great to have you here! I'm sorry to hear about the bullying that you've experienced in the past, but it's really inspiring to see how you're turning things around and looking for support. I hope that Year 11 ends up being a great year for you!
Take care and hope to see you around 💛
Thanks for your welcome! 😄
Yeah, the bullying really did suck. I'm sure anyone else who has dealt with bullying as well can agree that the experience is just awful. But one thing is for sure: year eleven is going to be very different (for better, or for worse, we'll see).
Thanks again for your welcome and you definitely will see me around!
Hello Platinum!
Thanks for sharing a bit about yourself—it’s awesome to get to know you! Year 11 can definitely feel like a big step, but it sounds like you’ve got a lot of interests and passions to keep you motivated. Pokémon and Sonic are classics, and I totally get how comforting something like Heartstopper can be after a rough day—it’s such a beautiful story!
It’s inspiring to hear how you’re turning difficult experiences, like bullying, into an opportunity to support others. That takes real strength and shows the kind of person you are. Living in a rural area definitely comes with its own unique challenges, but I hope you find that places like ReachOut are great for connecting with like-minded people who understand and support you.
Please remember that things won’t always be the same, and high school is not forever. I hope you have people around you that are safe enough that you can share your true self with them.
Also, insomnia being a “blessing and a curse” is such a relatable way to put it—I hope you’re finding ways to work with it. I personally experience bouts of insomnia, particularly during stressful periods in my life and I always find that even if I can’t sleep, laying and resting can still help to trick my mind into thinking I’ve slept.
Looking forward to seeing more of you around here. You’ve already made a great impression, and I’m sure you’ll make plenty of friends here. You’ve got this!
Take care and see you around!
Thanks for replying with your welcome! 😄
Year eleven is going to be different, for better or for worse (hopefully better). And you're right, Heartstopper is amazing and I don't know what I'd do without it.
You're right about how rural areas have a lot of unique challenges. I already know the geographic and social isolation, lack of transport, amenities, healthcare, privacy (a lot of people know what you're doing there), and more, which all have to do with rural areas being challenging to live in (one of the main reasons I'm leaving it as soon as possible). And, yeah, nobody deserves to be bullied. There's no excuse whatsoever for putting others down. Don't worry, I do have some people around that are there and have kinda similar situations, and we're all there for each other there 🙂
Yeah, insomnia really is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing if you have a lot to do that you just cannot fit into the daytime, so the nighttime is a good time for that. And it's a curse because when you want to actually fall asleep, you're kinda screwed. It sucks, but it is what it is.
Once again, thank you for your welcome and I hope to see you around too! 😌
Howdy @AllOf05
Wishing you a very warm welcome to ReachOut, it is lovely to have you here!
There are many folks on here who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ Community and many who also share your interests; I, for one, enjoyed the show Heartstopper and the books as well.
Experiencing bullying is awful; I am certain a lot of us can resonate. I will say that high school did bring out more bullying, and because of that I unfortunately felt too scared to come out as transmasc socially, especially because I was in a rural town. But now I'm 22, an out and proud transmasc, living in the city with my partner. Please know that I and others will be here to support you as best we can, especially when you are at your lowest point.
I hope you have a wonderful day today!
- Matcha_Toad 🐸🍵💚
Thanks for your welcoming response ☺️
I have noticed people who are apart of our lovely community here already, and it's awesome that we can use this part of the internet to express ourselves anonymously. I love both the show and the books, but the books are better because Aled is in them 😉
High school really does suck when it comes down to the students. I don't know about other schools for sure (except for rural schools since they're the main culprit, at least I think), but at my school, you can expect to hear "gay" used as an insult, as well as a few F slurs being thrown around. But, I'm really happy to hear you're out and proud as transmasc!! Keep doing what you're doing 😎
Have a good day as well, and thank you for your reply! 😄
Hi Platinum! 👋 It's so awesome to have you here on ReachOut. 🥰
I just wanted to let you know that you are definitely not alone in feeling unaccepted in a rural setting. I have finished high school now, but can remember like it was yesterday how many unkind and close minded people there are in rural areas. Like @KaizerBiker mentioned, people tend to be very disapproving of anything remotely different or eccentric, which really sucks.
I hope you have a fantastic time in year 11. It's cool because it's a serious year as you are aware, but it's kind of like a warm up to year 12 so can really find your rhythm. I know given your history with bullying at school it may be hard, but I hope you continue to be unapologetically you both outside and inside of school. You are amazing !! ❤️🏳️🌈
Thank you for your welcome! 😄
Ok, this is a really sweet message, and pretty factual. People in rural areas just suck - it's like the further inland you go, the more likely someone is to be a total yk what. I am looking forward to year 11 but at the same time dreading it, but the sooner it's done the better. Hopefully, it's not as bad as year nine. Hopefully, things start looking up and others who are staying in school for year 11 and year 12 actually wake up to themselves and mature (but I have doubts). In year 11, I do plan on being less closeted and more 'out' about my sexuality, but only time will tell. You're definitely right with the fact that people in rural areas are just worse. I think they're oblivious to the fact that they're going to have to mature.
Once again, thank you for your welcome to this amazing community!
Hey @AllOf05
Welcome to ReachOut, it's great to have you here.
I also really like Heartstopper (and okay I'm super biased as a gay guy but I swear LGBT movies and tv are just so much better) and can totally relate to watching comfort shows on a bad day - mine's call my by your name, I just love being transported into that beautiful world whenever I watch the movie.
That's a shame you went through so much bullying in year 9, no one deserves that. I'm glad you've been able to get through it and want to help out others using your experience, it's a very good trait to want to help others.
Good luck with grade 11, it can be a tough year but also quite impactful as you start gaining more independence and freedom. You've got this and you can always talk over here if things start getting tough or you just want someone to lend an ear.
Hello @AllOf05 ( or Platinum if you prefer that)
First or all, nice to have you around and welcome to Reachout! Personally, I grew up with Pokemon myself ( mostly just the video games) and had quite a blast playing around with it as a kid on my game boy ( I got started with Emerald so Gen 3 I think)
In any case, sorry to hear that you had experienced quite a lot bullying during your year nine. I feel you as well I didn’t have the best time back in high school, I very much didn’t fit in much with most of my classmates then because I was rather eccentric and any attempts of self -expression was kinda criticised 😅.
Personally, it went away as people aged out of it on my end but there are definitely some cases which needed teacher interventions or actual police calls.
Has it gone away on your end or have you contacted or talked to anyone on the matter? (like a counsellor or a trusted teacher or family member?) Hopefully you got a better support network now to deal with it.
Personally, I’m not within the LGBTQ+ so I apologise that I can’t give much insight on that but the resources provided by @Bailey_RO on being LGBTQ+ in a rural or remote area could be of use to you.
Once again, glad to have you here and do contact and talk to us on anything that bothers you and once again welcome to the community ☺️
Thanks for your welcome!
I didn't have the best time in the past, and still kind of struggle with high school. But in terms of workload and (some) classmates, it's gotten better. Hopefully year 11 is going to be better (I already know it's going to be drastically different).
I have a 2DS XL (which I got as a birthday present back when I turned ten) and a Switch Lite (which I used my Christmas money and saved Birthday money on last Christmas to buy - I promised a friend I'd buy a Switch). I modded my 2DS XL so I can play GBA games, and I gave Emerald a try. But my heart stays with either Ultra Sun (3DS) or Violet (Switch).
I sometimes did experience more harassment in year 10, with some classmates, but I don't know if it happened enough to count as bullying. Though with what happened in year nine, I'd say that's 100% bullying.
My school has (I think) 2 guidance officers (who work on different days), a nurse (that works for Queensland health), and I talked to a counsellor on Kids Helpline about 20 minutes ago to get the impact of the bullying off my chest.
I understand that you might not be able to give much insight with LGBTQIA+ issues, and that's ok. Thanks for the referral, I'll have a look soon.
But overall, thank you for your welcome and I'm glad to be here! 😄
Hey @AllOf05
Welcome to the ReachOut Community! 😊
I am really glad that you have found us and have been able to reach out for some support. I can see that you have already provided some really great support and advice to other community members which is so awesome to see!
I am sorry to hear that you experienced a lot of bullying in year 9. Bullying is never okay and I am really sorry that you had to experience that. It is understandable how much more challenging it must be living in a rural area and experiencing this. Are you still experiencing this bullying?
I was wondering if you have any supports in your life or if you have ever spoken to anyone about the bullying that occurred and the impact it had on you? Whether it be a friend, family member, GP or mental health professional?
It is really great that you are wanting to get help with this, and equally as great that you are wanting to help others dealing with it too. It really highlights the type of person that you are!
I wanted to share some resources with you that we have around bullying which I thought you may find helpful. We have a collection of resources here that include articles explaining bullying, sharing stories from other people who have been bullied, articles on coping with bullying and taking care of yourself. Do you think any of these might be helpful?
I also know that you mentioned that you are gay, and saw in another post that the people at your school are very homophobic which I am really sorry to hear. It can be very tough being part of the LGBTQIA+ community while living in a rural community but I want to remind you that you are not alone. We have this article that I wanted to share which is an insider’s guide to being LGBTQIA+ in rural and remote areas.
I also wanted to let you know that I have made some small edits in your post. As part of our Community Guidelines, we ask that all members remain anonymous at all times. This includes sharing names, contact details or usernames for other games or platforms.
I want to thank you again for sharing this with us and for all the advice and support you have been giving other community members already.
Take care and I look forward to hearing back from you
Hey, thanks for your welcome! 😊
Yeah, I did deal with a fair bit of bullying. I've contacted my school guidance officers, I think I talked to the nurse about it, and I got into contact with a counsellor on Kids Helpline about 20-ish minutes ago. Being rural, there are not a lot of good mental healthcare services out here, so either the school-based social workers or the internet are pretty much my only hope. I know my mum wants to help me (either taking me to a doctor, therapy, or smth like that), but I declined the offer. I'm not gonna say why here, at least for now. I'll have a look at those resources shortly, seeing as it's nearly 10pm in Queensland and I don't have much else to do. Thanks for posting the links to the services.
Once again, I thank you very much for your welcome! 😄
