Hope was all I had.

Question of the Day

SevenDegreesofFantastic2356 asks: “I’m not who my parents think I am. They think I’m their son. I’m not. I’m their daughter. I want to tell them. Ok, it’s more of a need than a want. I mean, I do want to, but the need to be honest with myself and them is overpowering everything right now. I feel like if I don’t tell them, or those around me, I may waste away. I’m scared of their reaction. I plan to transition fully in the years ahead and I’m worried they won’t understand. They aren’t bigots or anything—they were super understanding when I came out to them and as I continue to support, talk about, and rally for LGBTQIA+ rights and issues. But…this is more than that. This is me telling them I’ve been living a lie and my identity isn’t what they thought. What do I do?”

This is honestly one of the most touching and most intense questions I’ve received since starting this blog.

First, I want to tell you that you are not alone in this. That your feelings of “wasting away” are completely justified, but know that there are communities in place to help support you. And, though I may not be able to directly personally relate to your situation, I am here. That is why I started this blog, so people like you, like all of us with tough situations we feel alone in, can stand together and lean on each other for support.

Second, I’m totally proud and happy that your parents have supported you when you came out and when you rally behind LGBTQIA+ rights! That is a wonderful sign. It shows that they love you no matter what and are open-minded.

I’m also so beyond happy you mentioned your plans to transition over the years. It means you’ve done your research and know this isn’t a race to surgery, that there are a slew of steps you’ll need to go through before you get to the complete change at the end. I commend you on this! Because of the amount of time and effort and medical assistance that goes into transitioning, it’s more important than ever that you have the support of your loved ones. So I totally understand the desperate need to tell them. But I also understand the fear.