The beginning of an important – and very engaging – essay by my friend Len Davis, from The Chronicle of Higher Education, a few years ago.
The full essay is here: http://www.lennarddavis.com/downloads/gainingadaughter.pdf – PT
I look around and find myself, strangely enough, in the women’s lingerie section of the Kmart in an upstate New York town. I am with my 19-year-old son, who is comparison shopping for a pair of black tights. Some farm ladies are regarding us with dubious glances. My son asks if I think medium is too large for him. He stands at about 5 feet 11 inches. I really have no idea what will fit him. Trying to be helpful, I suggest that he might want to wear the fishnet stockings, which seem to me a bit more goth, but he sticks with the regular
ones. Then we move on to the cosmetics section for lipstick and hair dye. As I help him pick out a L’Oreal shade called Parisian Black, I wonder to myself how I got here.
How indeed? A few days earlier, my son had arrived back from his first year at college. The following morning, he sat me down at the kitchen table and announced that he had a big thing to tell his mother and father. My wife was on the telephone, and as we waited for her to finish talking, my son whispered, “I’m getting married.” Then he added, “No, just kidding.” He was jumpy with nervous intensity. When my wife sat down, he spoke: “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and I wanted to tell you — I’m transgendered!” He looked pleased with himself and somewhat triumphant. My wife and I looked at each other, confused and horrified.
The.American.Word. 