Ah the Holidays. Thanksgiving just passed, and Christmas, Hanukkah, and more are on the way. It's the time for family; you see loved ones that you usually don't get to see during the year. It's the time for love and family.
It's also can be any LGBTQIA+ person's worst nightmare.
It's the holidays, family that you usually don't see come and visit. A lot of those times, those family members can be homophobic, transphobic, etc etc. That means some dreaded conversations can come up at the dinner table, and it can be hard. Real hard. As a trans person, here are some ways to handle this time.
1. Don't Purposely Bring Topics Up
It's hard, I know. This person sitting across from you knowingly doesn't support who you are. You're going to want to bring it up and talk about it, but don't. Seriously.
If the person you're dealing with is a mature adult, they won't bring it up. They'll just sit by and pretend that the topic doesn't exist, I speak from experience. They don't bring it up, there's no reason for you to. Don't be the one to cause the argument.
But sometimes, the person isn't a mature adult.
2. Never Raise Your Voice
So the person isn't the maturest person in the world and they bring up the topic that you're part of the acronym. An argument has broken out.
Don't raise your voice. You want to be the mature cool headed one in any of these scenarios. Whatever this person may say to you, stay calm. Don't let your emotions take over you because that's when World War III really is gonna start.
3. Try And Have Backup Support
Try and make it so there's someone at the table that you know is on your side. Whether it's another family member or an invited friend, the more support you have the better. They'll stick up for you and be by your side.
4. Remember That They Are Wrong
To quote one of my favorite people, you are who you are and that's an awesome thing.Their opinion of you doesn't need to affect you. You are the only one who knows yourself. They have no right to tell you you are wrong. No matter what this against you family member could say to you, remember that you're loved.
Holidays are short, and don't let one person's opinion of you ruin the fun.
Happy Holidays guys, make the best of it.
