The trans 101 wiki page at Susans mostly just lists definitions of some terms that someone who wanders into Susans might encounter, but it doesn't really address what someone might ask who has just discovered that someone they know is trans or transitioning.
What I was looking for was something that would answer the questions that I suspect my siblings might ask (assuming they bother), and the "Trans 101" document linked from that page (i.e.,
http://www.pridelafayette.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Trans101_for_SOFFAs_v7.pdf) answers a lot of the questions that people here at Susans report getting asked by family and friends, such as:
- Is identifying as transgender the same thing as identifying as gay?
- Why can't you just be gay or lesbian or same gender loving (SGL)?
- Is a trans woman actually a woman or a man?
- Why can't you just stay a man? Or why can't you just stay a woman?
- Are you doing this for attention? Is this just a phase?
- Does this mean you are a different person?
- How did you become transgender?
- Are you doing this to get back at me for the way I raised you? (parents)
- Why would you make things harder on yourself?
- Which restroom do you use?
- Are you going to change your name? Why?
- Does identifying as trans mean you are going to change your body? What is "transitioning"?
- Why would you do that to your body?
- How do you have sex?
(This isn't the complete list.)
There's also a
trans 201 document, which goes into greater depth.
P.S.: since I was accused throughout my growning-up of "just wanting attention," the "are you doing this for attention" is one I don't think I could hear without blowing up.
