In an incredibly misguided and impossible to interpret attempt at something, your cis friend is telling you about the transphobic things their parents say and do.
This mystifying development occurred during dinner with your cis friend, Luke Whitlock.
“Yeah, my parents are so transphobic, it’s whack,” Luke reportedly told you. “They just don’t get it at all.”
Actually, it feels like nobody gets what’s going on right now!
Luke went on to tell you how his dad refuses to use they/them pronouns, thinks trans people are “overly sensitive”, and is opposed to trans youth receiving gender-affirming care.
“I really didn’t know how to respond,” you say. “I think he was trying to forge a connection maybe by, like, complaining to me about transphobia? All I could really say was, ‘Yeah, that sucks.’”
You report that you did ask Luke if he had tried to have a conversation with his dad about how his transphobia was hurtful, lacking any factual basis, and unacceptable. Luke had not.
“It just sucks so much,” Luke said. “I never thought he’d be like this. My mom isn’t as bad, but we all just try to avoid the topic because his point of view is so upsetting.”
Interesting! If Luke weren’t cis, he would not have the option to avoid the topic, but for some reason he wants for you, a trans person, to know all about it.
“I’m just saying,” Luke added, “I know how rough it is out there.”
Totally!!
While you urged Luke to challenge his parents on these matters, he seemed reluctant to do so, so for now you will just avoid the trip your friends were all going to take to their family lake house this summer.
