I've had several friends break down crying when I reacted joyfully to the news that their kid told them they're trans. Apparently a common reaction is concern for the parents?!
Truly, truly fuck this idea that parents are entitled to their imagined versions of their children's futures.
Was speaking with someone about the "grief" some parents express for the person they thought their trans kid was going to grow into and revisited this 2019 NYT piece by Meredith Talusan--just shocked at how hard it is to imagine them publishing something as thoughtful and nuanced today
Meaning... they cried because *they* were sad or they cried because someone *finally got it?* (I suspect latter but wasn't 100% sure.)
My response is curiosity "Oh! Have they chosen a new name? What are their pronouns? How have friends reacted?" or delight "How great that they feel safe being out!"
No apology necessary, just wanted to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting b4 reply.
💔 for those parents.
(I have noticed a similar phenomenon around autism diagnosis and it SUCKS. Knowing can/should be the 1st step toward living your best life but many treat it like a funeral.)
