I want to give you a taste of what it can be like, of some challenges a transgender person can face, even when interacting with ordinary, well-meaning people.
I deeply empathize and identify with the experiences you speak about in this episode! A therapist I was seeing in 2001 when I was coming to terms with my queerness pushed me to come out before I was resourced enough to do so safely...then, another therapist I began seeing a decade later to come to terms with my trans identity repeatedly encouraged me to remain in a gender-questioning idea rather than transition. Two sides of the same coin. But to your point, today I believe they did so based on the best advice they were capable of, given their own struggles and their social conditioning. Kindness and curiosity, as you said, are indispensable in navigating transition - both about/toward myself and others.
Thank you, Keith. I believe that one way toward a better world for all humans is to allow our own experiences to see others from a human, we're all perfectly imperfect beings in a complicated world perspective. I think your story is an example of this. Thank you for sharing.
I really appreciate this window into your transitioning process, Emily. I've had one or two terrible therapists, one or two OK ones, and one absolute stellar therapist that helped me tremendously - impossible to know what that alchemy is, but they are humans doing their best, as you say, and I love your thought process on responding to difficult situations in the moment but not escalating it with personal attacks later on a pretense of "self-defense." Anyway - thank you (and welcome to Qstack - look for my DM later... :)
I deeply empathize and identify with the experiences you speak about in this episode! A therapist I was seeing in 2001 when I was coming to terms with my queerness pushed me to come out before I was resourced enough to do so safely...then, another therapist I began seeing a decade later to come to terms with my trans identity repeatedly encouraged me to remain in a gender-questioning idea rather than transition. Two sides of the same coin. But to your point, today I believe they did so based on the best advice they were capable of, given their own struggles and their social conditioning. Kindness and curiosity, as you said, are indispensable in navigating transition - both about/toward myself and others.
Thank you, Keith. I believe that one way toward a better world for all humans is to allow our own experiences to see others from a human, we're all perfectly imperfect beings in a complicated world perspective. I think your story is an example of this. Thank you for sharing.
I really appreciate this window into your transitioning process, Emily. I've had one or two terrible therapists, one or two OK ones, and one absolute stellar therapist that helped me tremendously - impossible to know what that alchemy is, but they are humans doing their best, as you say, and I love your thought process on responding to difficult situations in the moment but not escalating it with personal attacks later on a pretense of "self-defense." Anyway - thank you (and welcome to Qstack - look for my DM later... :)