Progression

Today I tuned in on the Oprah show. I love Oprah. It's a dream of mine to meet her, although I know that it's very unliky that it'll ever happen. On today's show (I think it has been broadcast november 2008 in the US) two guests, a boy and a girl of respectively 16 and 21 years old, came to tell about their coming-out. It sure wasn't a 'regular' coming-out. Turned out that both of them were transgender. Being gay myself, I could only wonder what it must have been like for them to tell someone about this, not to mention the confusion in their own minds. I admired them for not surpressing their feelings, showing everyone who they really were.

At the startling age of seven (yes, that's right, seven) Julia (who is now Jake) told her parents that she felt like she was born in the wrong body. Her mother initially identified her as a lesbian, very soon to find out that a second son was on his way.

Obviously, seeing your daughter/son transform into the opposite sex isn't easy. Change is never easy. Going from a different Facebook lay-out to a child that wants to become the opposite sex, the mind needs to get used to the altered situation. The same goes out to all of the parents of gay children. Jake's mother, who took a very progressive stance, put it this way:

"It's not like losing a child, it's losing a dream."

I was struck by the beauty and truthfulness of this quote. It perfectly described how my parents felt when I came out to them. They knew I was still the same, but their minds had to adjust the dreams they had for me. They are still getting used to the new situation, step by step. I'm sure they'll get there, eventually.
After the show, Oprah emphasized the progress that had been made over the last 20 years. Back then, being gay was as much taboo as being transgender is today. We're not entirely there yet, but the progress has been amazingly great. I hope and wish that, 20 years from now, children can already come out at a very young age, as soon as they gain knowledge about what being gay or transgender means. So, thanks Oprah, for clearing the way a little bit more. I love you!

L. <3