Читать книгу My Trans Parent - Heather Bryant - Страница 44

“My mom told me he was transgender when I was eight, which was just before he switched. The biggest challenge is other people’s reactions, and trying to explain the situation, or avoid explaining it without actually lying.”

—ELIZABETH M., AGE 23

The story my own family invented matches almost exactly the recommendation given frequently to families at the time. Regarding family, some in the medical community suggested, “Young children are better told that their parents are divorcing and that Daddy will be living far away and probably unable to see them.” This is similar to the story we created.

It took years before I could talk about it out loud. Those who wanted to be there for me left the door open. One of my mother’s friends pulled over once while driving when the topic came up. He didn’t pressure me to talk about it. He just left the door open, and when I was ready, I walked through it. He made it clear that he was ready to listen, and left the rest up to me.

“It feels a little confusing to tell people what it feels like to me. So I wish they didn’t ask about it.”

—KEVIN B., AGE SEVEN