Can you imagine having your 13 year old son report to you that she is a girl? That’s what happened to pediatrician Paria Hassouri. In her memoir we join her through the reactions of shock, resistance, grief, acceptance, and finally pride. Transgender people have had to live in the shadows and their stories have been underreported in mainstream media. The majority of people feel either male or female. Gender is not necessarily binary; it can be on a spectrum. What would happen if we weren’t so strict with gender roles. There may be many transgender people who have just sublimated being trans all of their lives. Today we learn about the hope that one day the recognition of being transgender is no longer being stigmatized but is finally accepted in society. A wonderful child therapist helped Hassouri to accept the fact that her child was transgender when he assured her by saying, “She’s a girl not because of what she wears or what makeup she puts on but because for the 45 minutes that she’s in this room, she gets to be seen for who she is and this is being a girl. Her entire demeanor changes and that’s why she’s a girl. It has nothing to do with what she’s wearing, or growing out her hair, or the makeup she’s putting on.” When asked how the general public can be an advocate for the trans community Hassouri said, “The best way you can be an advocate is actually to just get to know one trans person, really get to know them. I think if you do that the advocacy will follow and everything will change after that.”
