Celebrating Pride Month: Stephanie’s Story

Stephanie Taylor, 24, originally from Luton, moved to Neston just before the pandemic hit due to rising costs and the need for access to a bungalow due to her disability.

Graduating in 2020 from Chester University with a degree in radio production with digital photography, she now works as a professional photographer.

Growing up

In talking about her sexuality, Stephanie revealed that her first ever kiss was at school with a girl.

She said: “I didn’t know people thought it was wrong. I attended a Catholic Primary School. My first kiss was with my best friend, who was a girl, in year 6, so we were 11.

“We were caught and threatened to be taken to the headmaster and I just knew if they found out two girls were kissing, we would be thrown out.”

When asked about how her family reacted to her sexuality, Stephanie explained that her family were very supportive throughout.

She said: “For me my experience is quite different to many other people’s experiences. I come from a very open family. My whole family on my mum’s side does theatre shows. My nan and grandad’s best friends were both gay. My grandad did a lot of shows and as you know a lot of people in the theatre industry are gay.

Stephanie as a child

“I came out to everyone as bi-sexual, and everyone was kind of like ‘yeah, I know’. Everyone was okay with it.”

Stephanie had relationships with both girls and boys throughout her teenage years. However, her relationship with a boy opened her eyes to her sexuality a little bit more.

She told the Globe: “I had lots of girlfriends and I had a boyfriend. During my relationship with him I realised things were happening in my mind, and I wasn’t enjoying it, I wasn’t happy.

“It wasn’t because of him or his personality. I spoke to my mum, who was so supportive, and we came to the conclusion that maybe I’m not bi-sexual.”

Coming out to her family was a happy time for Stephanie.

She said: “They told me to be whoever I wanted to be, and they would support me.

“I then came out to everyone on Facebook, which was quite scary because you’re not always going to get the reception you hoped for. You’re suddenly putting yourself in a world of hate crime and people that don’t want to know you.

“But people were so supportive. I surrounded myself with people that matter, and I thought this is my story to tell.”

The challenges

Stephanie opened up about her disability and how she has been subject to hate crime in the past.

She said: “The period from college to uni, I was subject to one hate crime from my best friend. Not only was it a hate crime against my sexuality it was an attack on my disability, she kind of came at me from all angles.”

Stephanie has also been diagnosed with two conditions, which means she is in a wheelchair most of the time. She has Sacral Agenesis, which is a congenital condition meaning there is a partial or complete absence of sacrum and lower lumbar spine.

She also has Ehlers-Danlo syndromes, commonly known as EDS. The condition involves a group of rare inherited conditions that affect connective tissue which provide support in skin, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels.

She explained: “That has challenges in itself, along with being gay but i’m at the point now where I am content with my sexuality. University really helped me, as I joined the LGBT group, which was really fun.”

Advice and support

When asked who she looks to for advice, Stephanie explained how she is very close to an individual in the public eye.

She said: “I get my advice off someone who is very dear to my heart. Jaymi Hensley out of Union J, is sort of my cousin and I grew up with him. I took a lot of my experiences from him coming out to his family and his experiences in the media when he had to come out after the X Factor.

“His advice is that there is always going to be someone out there whether they’re your friend or a professional or just someone who you don’t know. There is always going to be someone who accepts you and is going to be there for you.”

Stephanie and Jaymi

Stephanie is also part of a LGBTQA+ youth group called Utopia. For many people it is groups like these that are a safe space for them to just be themselves.

She added: “I am also Vice-Captain of a wheelchair basketball club based in Ellesmere Port called Cheshire Phoenix wheelchair basketball club. Within our group, and the sport in general, has the most amount of gay women I’ve ever seen! It’s a fantastic inclusive sport, and our club we have anyone and everyone.”

Pride month

Explaining that she is at a point where she is happy and content with her sexuality, Stephanie now focuses on expressing herself and being who she wants to be.

She said: “I’m at the point where I really don’t care, as long as I’m happy. This past year I’ve been really expressing myself. Just before my graduation I really wanted to change my hair. I shaved one side of my head and I’ve been getting types of clothes to style out. I’ve got piercings and tattoos, which make me happy and body confident.

“This pride month for me is about visually expressing myself and being who I want to be.”