Trigger finger
One of the most troubling themes in online trans spaces is the social pressure to scuttle relationships with loved ones—parents, partners, friends—who express reservations about one’s decision to transition.
Transition inevitably creates interpersonal tensions: how do children feel when daddy starts presenting himself as ‘mommy’? How does a husband feel about his wife’s changing body? How do friends respond when asked to overwrite the past with a new story? These conflicts are frequent topics of conversation in online trans spaces—and the advice leans heavily in the direction of devaluing and discarding relationships, rather than sensitively navigating discomfort and change.
