Yellowjackets star Liv Hewson recently opened up to Teen Vogue about their non-binary identity and their decision to get top surgery.
In 2012, Hewson was recovering from an eating disordered that was intensified by feelings of gender dysphoria, the 27-year-old star told Teen Vogue.
“[I had] a discomfort with and alienation from my body, and a need to control it or be in charge of it or shape it,” they said.
Hewson realized that they were non-binary that same year when they were 16. “I came across the term non-binary for the first time, and it was just immediate. ‘Oh, that’s 100 per cent what my deal is.’ That explains everything.”
But Hewson’s self discovery wasn’t so simple. They felt their age limited them from expressing themselves.
“But very quickly on the heels of that was, I can’t do anything with this. It’s 2012, and I’m 16. It was this beautiful, celebratory thing of that’s me. I know exactly who I am, I’ve fixed it. But I couldn’t tell anyone because, at the time, it really felt impossible.”
Now, over 10 years later, Hewson admits they are “so done feeling any shame or apology about it.”
Not only are they done feeling shame, they are feeling happier and more confident than ever, thanks in part to getting top surgery about a year ago.
“I cannot tell you the complete, fundamental shift that I have felt in the year since having surgery,” Hewson told Teen Vogue. “I knew that I wanted top surgery for a decade; it’s the longest I’ve ever thought about doing anything.”
Now, Hewson stands “differently, I walk differently, I carry myself differently. It feels different in my body than it ever has. I have just never been happier. I’ve never been more centered. I’ve never felt more stable and present and alive. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. It’s taught me a lot.”
