Three Things Not to Say to a Parent of a Transgender Kid
Things you can and should say!
By Ryan Chin
“He’s just a kid. He doesn’t really know…”
I said this. A lot of people say this. Once I thought about it though, I realized the kid absolutely knows. How many boys would willingly put themselves through h*ll in Kindergarten by bringing a fairy backpack on the first day of school, wear pink sparkly attire, and tell his classmates that he wants to be considered a girl? How many kids tell their doctor that they FEEL like a girl. That sounds like a brave kid who knows. That sounds like a kid who is being true to their feelings.
“It could be just a phase…”
While there are plenty of documented cases of transgender people switching back and forth between gender identities and experimenting with different paths of sexuality, something as big as this should not be looked upon as something that might pass. Treating this on the same level as drooling and bed-wetting is an absolute insult to the child. Saying this to a parent of a transgender kid is also hurtful. Don’t say that sh*t.
“My kid wears pink. My kid wears dresses sometimes. My son likes nail polish. It’s not a big deal…”
