Transgender Stereotypes
“I thought it was a woman! But then I heard it speak, and he or she had a deep voice. It was strange.” Those were the words my mom exclaimed about a transgender woman she encountered in a grocery store. Prior to this encounter, I was uninformed about the true definition of the term transgender. Although I watched transgender people in roles on television as a child, I was oblivious to the existence of transgender individuals in the world around me. However, my mom’s account of the transgender woman in the grocery store caused me to experience an epiphany that incited me to learn more. I began to read articles and watch videos on the Internet that ranged from accounts about transgender teens being kicked out of their homes to stories about the
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At first, I chose the easy route and rejected the fact that I am transgender, but with each passing day that I deluded myself, crippling despair took a stronger hold of me. I tried to adopt a feminine behavior, hoping that I would change. However, the despair became too overwhelming, so I decided that I must live authentically in order to be truly happy.
On May 15th, 2015, I quivered in fear as I placed my coming out letter into my mom’s hands, unsure if I would have a bed to sleep in that night. After reading the letter, my mom began to sob. I embraced her, and when she finally spoke, fear and anxiety pulsed through my body as I realized that my mom was unwilling to accept me as her son.
For months after May 15th, my mom refused to use the correct pronouns or name. She refused to allow me to cut my hair again or even step foot in the men's section of department stores. She took my phone for days at a time and checked my messages, because she was convinced someone was forcing me to be transgender. Meanwhile, my depression was
At first, I chose the easy route and rejected the fact that I am transgender, but with each passing day that I deluded myself, crippling despair took a stronger hold of me. I tried to adopt a feminine behavior, hoping that I would change. However, the despair became too overwhelming, so I decided that I must live authentically in order to be truly happy.
On May 15th, 2015, I quivered in fear as I placed my coming out letter into my mom’s hands, unsure if I would have a bed to sleep in that night. After reading the letter, my mom began to sob. I embraced her, and when she finally spoke, fear and anxiety pulsed through my body as I realized that my mom was unwilling to accept me as her son.
For months after May 15th, my mom refused to use the correct pronouns or name. She refused to allow me to cut my hair again or even step foot in the men's section of department stores. She took my phone for days at a time and checked my messages, because she was convinced someone was forcing me to be transgender. Meanwhile, my depression was