*yes the title is from the book by jane austen*

**this story may be triggering for LGBTQ+ people who may be struggling with themselves**

"Yeah, I'm part of the LGBTQA spectrum," a girl says, twirling her hair. When asked, she elaborates by saying "Well, I'm an ally! That's what the A stands for."

*

Theo spends seven years of their life hiding it, and being able to finally blurt out "I'm nonbinary" to their mom should feel like a relief.

Instead, all they feel is a pit in their stomach when their mom laughs and casually replies "that's definitely a made-up word."

*

"Bisexual," Ginny replies helpfully to the girl she's flirting with at the bar.

A low voice rasps behind her ear. "So you're down for a threesome?"

Ginny feels sick to her stomach.

*

"Okay, I have to know, because I'm gay and I need to know, are you flirting with me, or are we just talking?" the boy says, blushing a bit.

"I hope I'm flirting," Harry grins easily. "I'm bisexual."

The boy laughs loudly. "Oh come on, that's just the excuse guys use to pretend they're half-straight, it's the gateway for coming out as gay."

Harry feels his grin slide away.

*

"Because I'm gay!" Draco shouts after arguing with his father for an hour over why he won't just marry Astoria.

Lucius' smile slips off of his face. "No you're not. No son of mine will be gay."

*

"You're gay?" the girl says excitedly. "Oh my gosh! We can go shopping together! And get our nails done!"

Draco wrinkles his nose. "Shopping is boring. And I don't like painting my nails."

"Don't be silly, you're gay!" the girl exclaims, like it's a personality type.

*

Pansy is trying not to check out the beautiful brunette sitting a few stools away at the bar when a guy approaches her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks in a low voice that would probably seduce a straighter woman.

Pansy just smiles and warmly shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm a lesbian."

"That's hot," he breathes, and Pansy feels chilled to her core.

*

Hermione stares at the scissors for a long time.

If she doesn't cut her hair, she'll keep getting comments of "well you don't look like a lesbian."

But if she does cut her hair, she'll feel like she's fitting every stereotype and giving into societal impressions that all lesbians have short hair.

She pulls out her phone.

Hermione: I'm thinking about cutting my hair, like pixie style? Do you think it would look good?

Best Friend: dude are you having a mental breakdown why would you cut your hair
Best Friend: what's next, you're gonna dye it blue?? jesus hermione

Best Friend: your hair looks cute how it is, if you cut it you'll look like a dyke

Hermione puts the scissors away.

*

Pansy lets go of Hermione's hand when they get cat-called in the streets.

*

"You're so brave for going out in public together," a girl says, eyes shining at Pansy and Hermione's joined hands.

They look at each other. "We're not brave, we're just going outside," Hermione responds, frowning a bit.

*

A boy approaches Harry and Ginny with rainbow face paint. He frowns at them.

"Why are you at pride?" he spits. "Pride is for the LGBT community, not straight people."

"Actually, we're both bisexual," Harry explains, and before he can add that he and Ginny aren't even together, another boy wraps his arm around the first one's waist and scoffs.

"Jesus, pick a side. You're either gay or straight."

Harry takes Ginny's hand and they go get milkshakes instead of enjoying the parade.

*

"I'm pansexual," Harry says, and Dudley frowns.

"I thought you were bisexual?"

"Yeah, but I've thought about it more, and-"

"Are you just making this up as you go along? You already said you're bisexual. I thought you said it wasn't a choice."

"It's not," Harry replies in a small voice. "I just didn't-"

"Didn't what?"

"Never mind," Harry says softly, and goes back to his room.

*

"I'm pansexual," Harry tells his friend.

They stare at him blankly. "What in the fuck does that mean?"

"I like everyone, regardless of gender."

"Isn't that the same as bisexuality?"

"Bisexual people like two genders. I like all of them."

"There are only two genders."

*

"I'm asexual," Parvati explains to the girl she's talking to, and she waits for the inevitable 'what's that?'

The girl wrinkles her nose. "So you're a prude. Coulda just said that before I bought you your drink." She stands and leaves Parvati at the table.

*

"I'm demisexual," Ron mentions to the girl he's talking to. She frowns.

"So you're gay?"

"No, I-"

"There are too many terms in your spectrum." She waves an accusing finger over him. "Just pick one of the easier ones, like gay."

*

"I'm asexual and aromantic," Charlie says cheerfully. "But I'll still pay for your drink, if you'd like."

The girl looks him up and down in distaste. "What do either of those mean?"

"I don't experience romantic or sexual attraction." Charlie is used to the question, and answers it as brightly as he can.

"So you're a sociopath." The girl leaves before he can answer.

*

Blaise feels like the word Tranny is burned into his back with every pair of eyes that look at him.

*

"Why does your mother call you Bella?" Blaise's sort-of-girlfriend asks one day.

"Oh, that's my dead name. She doesn't really accept that I'm transgender, but I'm used to it." Blaise shrugs and sighs a bit.

"Wait. You're transgender?"

"Uh. Yeah?" Blaise's hand shakes a bit when he picks up his water glass. "Have I not mentioned that?"

"No. You haven't." She wrinkles her nose. "Sorry, I'm not into transgenders."

She leaves.

*

Luna has stopped trying to convince people that she's genderfluid.

It's too often met with confused stares and people trying to explain her own gender to her, so instead she chops her hair off and goes with whatever pronouns people first refer to her with.

*

Neville tries not to cry at the red marks the bandages leave on his chest.

*

A sickening feeling of displacement in his own body leaves Blaise almost shaking and crying, and it's not until he meets a boy named Neville several months later that he learns the name for this feeling is dysphoria.

*

"I'm part of the LGBT spectrum too!" A man exclaims happily, smiling at Harry.

"Oh, awesome!" Harry smiles brilliantly. "What do you identify as?"

"We call ourselves MAPS."

"What... what does that mean?" Harry feels unsure, and suddenly uncomfortable, and he's not quite sure why.

"It stands for Minor-Attracted-Persons."

Harry's going to throw up. He takes a step back. "I'm sorry? Are you trying to tell me that you're a pedophile?"

"That's a terrible, prejudiced name that white misogynistic men came up with," the man says firmly, and it takes everything in Harry to not point out that the man is a white male.

"And you think... liking children is something that should be included with the LGBT community?"

"It's a pure attraction of-"

"I'm sorry, I have to go," Harry says roughly, and shoves the door open.

He feels sick that that man thinks he can be a part of the same community as Harry, a community Harry thought was safe.

*

"I'm heterosexual and homoromantic," Astoria sighed heavily, throwing herself back on her bed. "Life is hard."

Daphne snorted. "Try being biromantic and homosexual. It feels like I have a choice, but it also really feels like I only have one."

*

"So which one of you is the man in the relationship?"

*

"Does that mean you want to fuck a pan?"

*

"You were born a girl, and you will always be a girl."

*

"You are a disgrace to this family."

*

"The Bible is against that."

*

"I can accept that girls are pretty, and I'm not a lesbian. You can think girls are pretty and not be a lesbian."

**************

Theo spends seven years of their life hiding it, and being able to finally blurt out "I'm nonbinary" to their dad should feel like a relief.

It feels more like healing sore wounds after shackles have fallen when their dad stands abruptly, knocking his book to the floor and shouts "Fuck! Okay, fuck. That means you don't have a gender, right? Or you like, don't identify as any gender? Okay, shit. Alright. You have a birthday present coming, you know, one of those mugs that says "Greatest son ever!" I didn't know- fuck. Alright. I'll send it back. I'll send it back, and I'll get it remade to say- what do you want? Greatest child ever? Spawn? Person? How abo-"

Theo cuts him off by hugging him tightly, and their dad relaxes, hugging them tightly and murmuring "Thank you for telling me. Spawn."

Theo bursts out laughing and thinks that they might be okay.

*

"Bisexual," Ginny replies helpfully to the girl she's flirting with at the bar.

A voice comes from behind her. "Wait, does that mean I can flirt with you too?"

Ginny spins in her chair to face a guy behind her. "I mean, you're welcome to try."

He breaks out in a grin. "Great. Hi, I'm Dean, and I'm bisexual too."

"Bisexual, eh?" the sandy-haired boy next to him says. Ginny and the girl she's flirting with grin as they watch the interaction. "Sorry, but I think I'm gonna steal this one from you. He's a cutie."

Ginny shrugs. "Feel free. I've got a date with blondie anyways." She grins and spins back in her seat. "Anyways, Luna, what were you saying?"

*

"Okay, I have to know, because I'm gay and I need to know, are you flirting with me, or are we just talking?" the boy says, blushing a bit.

"I hope I'm flirting," Harry grins easily. "I'm bisexual."

The boy laughs loudly. "You're terrible at flirting then, because I've been trying to figure it out this whole time."

"Sorry." Harry blushes. "You're cute, I'm nervous."

The blonde boy grins and leans over the table. "Well now that I know we're flirting, we should really start this conversation."

*

"Because I'm gay!" Draco shouts after arguing with his mother for an hour over why he won't just marry Astoria.

Narcissa pauses. "Oh. You should have opened with that. We just wasted an hour of my life."

Draco blinks. "Excuse me?"

"I could have finished my sweater," she grumbles, grabbing her knitting supplies and pulling them into her lap. "I'll have you know that I refuse to knit you a rainbow sweater, not because I don't support you, but because I refuse to have my son go out in public wearing more than three colors, it's ghastly."

Draco feels a grin slide over his face, and he knocks his mother's knitting supplies to the side when he hugs her.

*

"You're gay?" the girl says excitedly. "Oh my gosh! We can go shopping together! And get our nails done!"

Draco wrinkles his nose. "Shopping is boring. And I don't like painting my nails."

"Oh, shit. Sorry. Uh. Ice cream instead? And... drop me off at the mall so I can shop without you?" she suggests.

Draco grins. "You're paying for ice cream."

"Bitch."

*

Pansy is trying not to check out the beautiful brunette sitting a few stools away at the bar when a guy approaches her.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asks in a low voice that would probably seduce a straighter woman.

Pansy just smiles and warmly shakes her head. "Sorry, I'm a lesbian."

"Shit, sorry," he says, and leaves. Pansy continues staring at the pretty brunette.

*

Hermione stares at the scissors for a long time.

If she doesn't cut her hair, she'll keep getting comments of "well you don't look like a lesbian."

But if she does cut her hair, she'll feel like she's fitting every stereotype and giving into societal impressions that all lesbians have short hair.

She pulls out her phone.

Hermione: I'm thinking about cutting my hair, like pixie style? Do you think it would look good?

Pansy: oh my god
Pansy: oh my god please

Pansy: im so fucking gay please cut your hair you'll look so hot

Hermione: Won't I look like the stereotype of a lesbian though? Isn't that what I should be fighting against, stereotypes?

Pansy: hermione, fuck, and i cannot stress this enough, that

Pansy: for fucks sake do what makes you happy and makes you look hot you're hot either way and this is your decision, no society's and not mine

Hermione: I'm doing it.

Pansy: thank fucking god you're gonna look so fucking hot im screaming

Hermione cuts her hair.

She does look hot.

*

Hermione slaps the guy when they get cat-called in the streets, before grabbing Pansy's hand and continuing to walk.

*

Hermione and Pansy go to the supermarket holding hands.

No one says anything.

It's perfect.

*

A boy approaches Harry and Ginny with rainbow face paint. He frowns at them.

"Why are you at pride?" he spits. "Pride is for the LGBT community, not straight people."

"Actually, we're both bisexual," Harry explains, and before he can add that he and Ginny aren't even together, another boy wraps his arm around the first one's waist and grins.

"Sorry," he apologizes for his boyfriend. "We're used to straight allies trying to crash this and thinking they're part of us. Here." He holds out a tray of facepaint. "Want the bi pride flag on your faces?"

Ginny and Harry both nod, grinning.

The pride parade is an experience they'll never forget.

*

"I'm pansexual," Harry says, and Dean frowns.

"I thought you were bisexual?"

"Yeah, but I've thought about it more, and I've come to realize I'm pansexual."

Dean smiles shyly. "I'm like, the opposite. I thought I was bi, but I'm just gay."

"Dumbasses unite!" Harry cheers, and they high-five while their boyfriends both groan and put their heads in their hands.

*

"I'm pansexual," Harry tells his friend.

They stare at him blankly. "What in the fuck does that mean?"

"I like everyone, regardless of gender."

"Isn't that the same as bisexuality?"

"Bisexual people like two genders. I like all of them."

"Oh. dope. Want pizza? I've got extra."

*

"I'm asexual," Parvati explains to the girl she's talking to, and she waits for the inevitable 'what's that?'

"Oh, cool," the girl replies casually, taking a sip of her drink, and Parvati almost cries, because never before has someone just accepted it.

*

"I'm demisexual," Ron mentions to the girl he's talking to. She frowns.

"What's that mean?"

"I don't feel sexual attraction at all without having a romantic bond first."

She pauses for a long moment. "Shit."

"What is it?" Ron waits for the inevitable rejection.

She only laughs softly "I think I'm demisexual too."

*

"I'm asexual and aromantic," Charlie says cheerfully. "But I'll still pay for your drink, if you'd like."

The girl looks him up and down in confusion. "What do either of those mean?"

"I don't experience romantic or sexual attraction." Charlie is used to the question, and answers it as brightly as he can.

"Oh, I fucking wish," she sighs.

"Wanna talk about it?" Charlie slides her drink over to her.

"Men are trash," she replies with a grin and a shrug. "Except you, you're cool, because I know you're not just talking to me so you can fuck me."

"We can be friends, if you'd like."

"That'd be fucking great."

*

Blaise feels like the word Proud is burned over his heart with every pair of eyes that look at him.

*

"Why does your mother call you Bella?" Blaise's sort-of-boyfriend asks one day.

"Oh, that's my dead name. She doesn't really accept that I'm transgender, but I'm used to it." Blaise shrugs and sighs a bit.

"Wait. You're transgender?"

"Uh. Yeah?" Blaise's hand shakes a bit when he picks up his water glass. "Have I not mentioned that?"

"No, you didn't." Neville positively lights up. "I am too!"

*

Luna has stopped trying to convince people that she's genderfluid.

It really doesn't matter, because her girlfriend Ginny will convince them for her.

*

Neville tries not to cry when Blaise buys him a professional binder so he can stop using bandages.

*

A sickening feeling of displacement in his own body leaves Blaise almost shaking and crying, and Neville wraps him in a blanket and brings him ice cream and continuously refers to him with his real name and pronouns while distracting him with the newest shitty Fast and Furious movie.

*

"I'm part of the LGBT spectrum too!" A man exclaims happily, smiling at Harry.

"Oh, awesome!" Harry smiles brilliantly. "What do you identify as?"

"We call ourselves MAPS."

"What... what does that mean?" Harry feels unsure, and suddenly uncomfortable, and he's not quite sure why.

"It stands for Minor-Attracted-Persons."

Harry's going to throw up. He takes a step back. "I'm sorry? Are you trying to tell me that you're a pedophile?"

"That's a terrible, prejudiced name that white misogynistic men came up with," the man says firmly, and it takes everything in Harry to not point out that the man is a white male.

"And you think... liking children is something that should be included with the LGBT community?"

"It's a pure attraction of-"

"Nah, mate."

Harry calls the fucking police.

*

"I have decided life is much easier being heterosexual and homoromantic when my girlfriend is asexual," Astoria says decidedly.

"So is my boyfriend," Daphne says without looking up from her book. She holds out one fist and Astoria bumps it.

*

"You're valid."

*

"What pronouns do you want me to use?"

*

"That's fair. Girls are hot. I get it."

*

"I'm glad you get to finally be yourself."

*

"You are still you, regardless of who you love."

*

"God doesn't hate you."

*

"I love you."