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Aunt now Uncle

Started by Brotinn, September 17, 2016, 11:18:45 PM

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Brotinn

I had to move back to my parents' house at the beginning of August. I've been on T since August 1st as well. My family has been trying their best to use the correct name and pronouns (I get on them if they slip), but the one person I just can't bring myself to get after is my eldest sister. She also has 3 kids, who are 9, 7, and 6 years old. My sister is fairly conservative with her way of thinking and she doesn't really give children credit for being able to understand things most adults have issues with. For example, in a response to a letter I wrote to her, she said her daughter (7 y.o.) wanted to marry a female friend and wrote that "[niece] is STRAIGHT" (complete with caps). While I know that it's impossible to assume a person's sexual orientation at just 7 years old, my sister is very insistent that kids don't know any better and that they can't possibly understand things.
My nephews and niece stay at the house on occasion, and my mom tried to (poorly) explain why they call me by my chosen name, saying it's just a "nickname." This is problematic on various levels. On their most recent visit, my mom called me by my chosen name and used male pronouns. My eldest nephew shot back "[birth name]! SHE!" which is when my mom said the "nickname" stuff. I feel like saying it's "just a nickname" is what's going to confuse them on top of the mixed pronoun usage and my sister's refusal to use my chosen name and proper pronouns.

My close friend told me that it boils down to whether or not she respects my decision. I know she wants me to be happy, but it also conflicts with her "moral compass" and, thus, doesn't really respect my decision.
I want to be able to talk to the kids about what's going on, because it will get to a point where calling me by my birth name and female pronouns will be kind of weird, but I have no idea how to explain it to them that's clear and easily understood. I'm not very close with them (the oldest was only about 3-4 when I moved to another city and haven't seen them until I moved back).
I also don't know how to bring the issue up to my sister without conflict, which is the biggest reason why I haven't confronted her about everything (plus her husband is kind of a d-bag) - I dislike conflict and causing problems for people.

I know this is kind of a loaded post (that may be all over the place) but I would really appreciate any kind of input.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

Started T: 8.1.2016
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FTMax

It's definitely a complicated situation. On the one hand, you have a right to be respected in your own home. On the other, parents have a right to raise their children as they see fit and protect them from being exposed to things they don't feel are appropriate.

Yes, I do think calling it a nickname is a mistake, since in most cultures nicknames are optional. It does send the idea that it's just something you'd prefer to be called. But I think based on what you've said there is a bigger red flag going on with your sister and her husband. Your oldest nephew saying "Birth name, SHE" is concerning. That is not something that a 9 year old says on their own. He learned that from somewhere, so it seems likely that either your sister or her husband has made it a point to make this distinction in their own household.

I think what you should do is speak with your parents and anyone else that lives in your house (you didn't specifically mention it but it doesn't sound like your sister and her kids live there full time). Get everyone on the same page. No more "nickname" crap - HE changed HIS name and this is what it is now. I would explain to them that you're worried this will be confusing for the children if they're constantly getting mixed signals and information, and that you'd appreciate your folks being super focused on getting things right at least when the kids are visiting.

And while I do think you will need to have a conversation with your sister, I think it may actually be more effective if it comes from your parents. If your sister is anything like me, I perpetually see my younger siblings as children - half of them are adults and while their lives are their own, I do mentally nitpick every major decision they make and constantly question their maturity. If your sister views you similarly, that's probably compounded by the fact that she doesn't agree with your decision to transition. She may be more open minded to hearing from mom and dad that this isn't a decision you've made lightly, you've seen professionals, you know what you're doing, and this is the way things are now. I would also couple it with either a conversation or a note from you letting her know how much this situation with her has impacted you and how you'd like some resolution to it.

What also factors into this are your plans. Do you plan to stay at home indefinitely? Do you have plans to relocate in the future? What value do you place on your relationship with your sister, and has coming out created any signficant change in her treatment of you (pronouns and name aside)? Ultimately - is it worth rocking the boat? It probably is if you don't have plans to move, but if you're only going to be staying for another 6 months or a year and will be moving far away after that, maybe not. Has your sister typically been a big part of your life, or rather, if you were not living at home, would your family be something you prioritize? While it might make things comfortable in the here and now to get the kids and your sister on the same page as your parents, if you are not otherwise intending to be involved in family life if/when you move out, it may not be worth the emotional cost to your family now.

I rewrote this post a few times as I thought things over, and I do genuinely think the above (re: you talking to your parents, your parents talking to her) is the best course of action that I could come up with. Obviously you could take it upon yourself to explain it to the kids, but if your sister and her husband are as not nice as it seems, that would probably lead to a lot of drama. I would also worry that if things don't go your sister's way without her being convinced that it's the right move, that she would stop bringing her kids around and that would cause some internal drama with your parents missing their grandkids.
T: 12/5/2014 | Top: 4/21/2015 | Hysto: 2/6/2016 | Meta: 3/21/2017

I don't come here anymore, so if you need to get in touch send an email: maxdoeswork AT protonmail.com
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