Northern Thailand.

At that time the community was completely isolated except by a single road, but no one in the village owned a vehicle.

There was no electricity, newspapers or other outside influence.

From the time he could walk he refused to wear male clothing.

When he approached school age he would only put on his sister's skirts.

His parents punished him every way possible but he simply refused to wear traditional male clothing.

There was no media influence, no other role models in the small village, just a small boy knowing his own identity.

Eventually he 'won' in that people accepted him but he never wore male clothes until much as an adolescent he was able to make the larger connection. He is gay but not sexually active (as far as anyone knows, he has never had a relationship that anyone was familar with). Twenty years ago I paid his way through adult school. He remains one of the sweetest people to have ever walked the earth. He didn't learn either his sexual identity/preference nor his infectiously sweet disposition, it is who he is.

You are lucky to have each other.