I’ve known for a long time that I want to transition and I’ve been privately expressing my true self at home when I have my own space. But when I open up to my family about it the responses are just so hurtful and dismissive. My mom keeps trying to convince me not to like I’m doing something shameful, and she even threw at me that “90% of people who transition regret it and end up suicidal” which is factually not true and felt like she was just using fear to shut me down.
My sister’s response was basically “why would you even want to, it’s not like you can get pregnant” — as if my entire gender identity comes down to reproductive function. What hurts the most is that neither of them are trying to understand what it actually means to live with suppressed feelings your whole life. They’re making it about their own discomfort and expectations, acting like “just don’t transition” is a neutral costless option without acknowledging what that suppression actually costs me emotionally.
Im not looking for their permission. I just wanted to feel seen by the people closest to me. Does anyone else deal with family who love you but completely refuse to meet you where you are? How do you even cope?