How can someone deal with societal discrimination and transphobia ?
How can we deal with societal discrimination and transphobia? Dr Trinka Arora
Even though laws and policies are passed and we are being asked to stand on our own feet, there are still discriminatory practices that we have to deal with- even in places that are deemed safe. How can we deal with transphobic people? Dr Trinka Arora tells us
How to deal with transphobia?
In many cases where people are allies and support other trans people and their rights, there are still people who don’t support their own kids when they come out as trans. But there are baby steps that the society is taking towards positive growth. With the changing of laws, there is that growth that happens in people as well. There is a move towards acceptance where a lot more people are aware and accepting of these issues. It is a journey that will happen and so it will happen for the larger society as well.
What do I do when my kid comes out to me as Trans?
When your kid comes and tells you that they feel dysphoric about their gender identity, don’t react instead try to spend some time trying to understand how they feel. So talk to them, maybe they are not sure about how they feel- in that case, look out for professionals who can guide you as well as your kid. If you cannot provide for your kids’ emotional needs, it is not something to be ashamed of. Rely on professionals who can guide you better and help your child feel better about themselves. Do not experiment with these things go to a seasoned expert and let them help you out with this situation.
Do not deal with this situation with anger. When you do that you scare them away and you influence their thoughts with your preconceived notion about this topic. As soon as you get angry, even if your kid doesn’t tell you about it- they have already stopped trusting you. They have taken away the right from you to be there for them. They start trying to look at resources and research by themselves but they never dare to tell you about how they feel ever again. Don’t lose your temper, don’t scream at them. Don’t do all of that. Because if that happens then there will be a distance which will make sure that you suffer and your kid suffers too. There is no solution in screaming at someone and ultimately, the kid might get mad at you and look for guidance in the wrong places and get influenced to hurt themselves instead. So please be supportive.