10 Tips On Transgender Etiquette

(Bala Cynwyd, PA)  As one of the leading transgender surgeons in the world, Dr. Sherman Leis has counseled hundreds of families on how to best relate to a family member who is a transgender person. One of the most challenging periods is during the time when they are first publicly confirming their transgender identity to family and friends. Below, Dr. Leis shares some of his most valuable tips about etiquette and support.

Said Dr. Leis, “Although this is by no means an exhaustive list, these tips are important to enhancing a long-term familial relationship. In fact, some of these tips can even influence life and death, as transgender people who live in a caring, supportive environment can be as much as 15 times LESS likely to attempt suicide, suffer severe depression, and engage in dangerous drug use, than those in an unsupportive environment.”

10 Tips on TG Etiquette and Protocol

1.  Treat trans people as they want to be treated.  Take a lead from them.  Often this starts by having a frank discussion about how they feel about being themselves, and what they want out of life.
2. Encourage their honesty and support it.
3. Show them affection and respect.
4. Support them when they encounter other family members or friends who are not supportive or even tease or harass them.
5. Encourage them to attend family events as they are, and support them there.  Don’t ask them to keep their identity a secret in the family or shy away from family interaction.  They may be pleasantly surprised to receive the love and support they get offered.
6. Even if you have negative issues about their being transgender, don’t nag them about your feelings or be otherwise negative.  It will merely drive them away.
7. Encourage their meeting other transgender friends and participating in events at transgender organizations.
8. Refer to them by the pronoun they prefer — he or she.
9. Be sure they feel valued.  Being valued by family and friends make Trans people learn to care and feel more value for themselves.
10. Refrain from blaming the trans person for discrimination or Harassment that they receive.

Dr. Sherman Leis is one of the world’s pre-eminent transgender surgeons and founder of The Philadelphia Center For Transgender Surgery, in Bala Cynwyd, PA. It is recognized as one of the leading facilities in the world specializing in gender reassignment surgery. It was founded to be a single source of information and expertise in medical care for the transgender individual. The Philadelphia Center For Transgender Surgery offers a uniquely supportive environment where one can connect with Dr. Leis’ surgical and non-surgical team of dedicated specialists – surgeons, psychologists, endocrinologists, aestheticians, speech therapists, legal experts, and others.

Tags: featured, Identity, tg étiquette, Transgender, Transition, Transsexual

Category: Transgender Body & Soul