I am what you call a late bloomer. I came out just a few years ago. To most, it wasn’t a surprise. I often joke that I was the last to know. The decision to come out wasn’t easy, and it has caused some of my longest relationships to end, but I have never felt better and more like myself. It was a time in my life of great change. I left the long-time religion of my youth and came out as a queer person. My pronouns are her/she. Why call this the 13th Cousin? One day I was sitting in the office of my therapist. I have to admit we have come from a similar background, so when the session turned to finding out “our people,” something just felt natural. Our people, meaning those who came before us; you know grandmothers, grandpas, great aunts and uncles, etc. We found an app and learned very quickly that we were 13th cousins directly on our mom’s sides. So now my therapist is also my cousin, not just any cousin, but my 13th cousin. I have to say that finding out we were related was amazing and has only brought healing and a family bond that I hope this organization will create.