"I thought to be feminine was to give in to straight culture, or the beauty standard, but in my heart I had a flair for fashion and style. They were passions I kept secret because I didn't understand I could love clothes and hair and makeup and still like girls."

"I was given baby doll toys myself, and they proved a stark reminder that my life was expected to revolve around childbearing - just as my mom's had before me, and her mom's had before her."

"My mother told me Homer Ditto was not my father. Nope. Mom had had a fling with some other guy who was my dad. Some dude who didn't stick around too long who Mom was happy to get rid of. She chose Homer, and Homer chose me, so he lent me his name even though I didn't have his blood."

"When you see a fantastic colour or cut in a magazine, perched up on some famous so-and-so's head, it's tempting to ask your stylist for the same, but do not be fooled. The hair in those fancy photos can be very high maintenance."

"It is a subtle truth that courage is not the absence of trembling, but the decision to step forward regardless."

"Bravery is born the moment you decide your values outweigh your comforts — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"As you become more clear about who you really are, you'll be better able to decide what is best for you - the first time around."

"We can always choose to perceive things differently. You can focus on what's wrong in your life, or you can focus on what's right."