Today is “Blogging for LGBT Families” day, even though I have never been married nor have any children the fact that I am transgendered affects my whole family. It affects everyone in my whole family; from my brother and sister-in-law, their children, my aunt and my cousins. When someone transitions, their whole family transitions with them.They have to deal with my transition which is a hard thing for some to handle and they have to tell their friends… well my brother is now my sister or my aunt who was my uncle. They have to learn how to deal with the fact that our family cottage is now and forever going to be known as – “that’s were that transsexual lives.”
Therefore, when we talk about transitioning we have to look at the global view of how the transition affects our family and friends and not just at our own transition. Some of us will lose everyone that we ever loved, some will never see their brothers or sisters ever again, some will not see their parents ever again. Those of us who are lucky will have our family at our side as we go through this transition.
"That's where that transsexual lives"
ReplyDeleteAhh. That's painfully candid, and painfully true. I know because, to be perfectly honest, I can myself and people I know making statements like that and judging like that.
I really respect what you're doing, I think more people need to share their experiences, give faces and names to something that is usually shoved away the public eye.
Thanks for opening my eyes, and ridding me of some ignorance. :)
Also, which group do you fall under? The ones that lose everything they ever loved? Or the lucky ones who have their families by their sides? I hope the latter!