The moment I knew: after my first sexual encounter with a man, I realised I only loved women

‘For many LGBTQI+ people, coming out is a time of trauma or celebration, but having been raised within the community, my sexuality was neither a revelation nor a shock’ – writer and theatre-maker Maeve Marsden (in bow tie) with friends. Photograph: Supplied by Maeve Marsden

When I came out as bisexual, aged 14, it was a total non-event. From my lesbian mothers, I received a vague “that’s nice, dear”, and from my school friends – girls raised in predominantly non-traditional families in Sydney’s leftie inner west – a resounding chorus of, “oh, me too”.

For many LGBTQI+ people, coming out is a time of trauma or celebration, but having been raised within the community, my sexuality was neither a revelation nor a shock.