Home For The Holidays

For many LGBT people there is no home to go to for the holidays, they have been cast out of their family because they are trans, lesbian, bi, or gay.

Queer For The Holidays: Post-Election Edition
Huffington Post
By Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R
November 22, 2016

Since the election I’ve woken up terrified, fearing for my wellbeing more than I have in a decade.

So many of us can name friends, family members, and others closeby who voted for candidates that intend to strip LGBTQ+ people, Muslims, people of color, immigrants, or otherwise nonmainstream communities of rights. They would limit our access to services and dehumanize our identities. We are traumatized and furious, not merely at the results but also at the people we might have trusted (or not).

And in the next few days we are headed home for the holidays, something often traumatic in itself. We may get misgendered or be subject to countless other forms of discrimination; now we must spend time with family members who have voted against us and we feel that much more emotionally vulnerable. What to do?
[…]
For some in our communities, going home may be too emotionally unsafe. Feel free to avoid; ‘miss the bus’ and spend the days instead with friends walking in nature or on the couch with Netflix and a blanket. There are countless good (and trashy) movies to watch, and untold seasons of television yet to binge. Reject turkey and order pizza.

As the article said, the holiday season is very hard on us. I know one trans person who hasn’t talked to his family since he transitioned in close to three decades. Another trans person that I know that has been estranged from her family helps out at soup kitchens for the holidays.