(((I Will Outlive)))

“Parents can often be the last to know about their child’s gender identity, Ehrensaft says. Coming out can be terrifying for many transgender kids. Family members often respond with violence or distrust or may even kick the child out of the house. Almost 40 percent of transgender youth experience homelessness or housing instability, according to a 2022 report from the Trevor Project, a nonprofit that provides crisis support for young LGBTQ+ people. Many kids who wait to discuss their gender identity with their parents before appearing to “suddenly” come out are simply keeping themselves safe, Ehrensaft says.

”‘It is not rapid-onset gender dysphoria,’ she says. 'It’s rapid-onset parental discovery.’“

[image description: “transmeds & truscum don’t define the trans experience” in white & black text over photography in horizontal stripes like the genderqueer flag.

from top to bottom: purple lake with a tree in the foreground and mountains in the background, white mist over a forest, and green mountains viewed from above. /end image description]