In the process of obtaining information for work, an interview was conducted with a good childhood friend of mine who had long ago moved to another state. The process of conversation was conducted in virtual space because of the great distance separating the interlocutors. The interlocutor wished to remain anonymous, so the pseudonym John was used to designating him. The peculiarity of my acquaintance is that he differs from me in his ethnicity and self-perception, which did not prevent us from keeping in touch even at a distance.
The interview itself was relatively unusual for me because, during the pause in our communication, John managed to make a coming out. John was born female and, already at a conscious age, was aware of his differences from most of his peers, experiencing ambiguous doubts about his psychological gender. As a descendant of the indigenous Navajo tribe of our continent, his childhood was filled with many traditions and respect for his ancestors, with no room for doubt about human gender or much freedom to fulfill himself. However, over time and after the emergence of independence, he decided to take this step and is currently going through a period of complex relationships with his relatives and friends.
The big news for me was not John’s predisposition but his determination in his actions and willingness to open up. The last time I contacted him, he did not seem willing to take such a serious step, even though many of his close friends knew of his desire and fully supported him. It was the most powerful blow in the interview, as the information was very new and positively unexpected. From this, one can take an example of human courage, recognize the importance of everyone’s willingness to accept their essence, and tell those around them about it.
John learned much in the process of revealing himself as a transgender person and could share much. Sadly, he experienced discrimination on more than one occasion in his life. As an African American, I perfectly understand his experiences, which were mainly experienced during his childhood years. Native Americans were also often mocked, humiliated, and insulted by fellow students. However, it is worth noting that, parallel to growing up, the discrimination almost wholly wore off, as John confirmed.
Nevertheless, a new experience for John and the other witnesses to his interview was the current level of discrimination against LGBT people. The interviewee shared that almost half of his acquaintances turned away from him after coming out, and some even expressed their displeasure. This fact contributes to reflection and acceptance of the imperative of continuing to develop our society toward a free democratic system (Fish, 2020). Among the difficulties experienced during the interview process were earning the comrade’s trust and trying to clarify questions regarding his current psychological state. Under the influence of stress, he became more suspicious of anyone with whom he had not communicated for a long time. Accordingly, it also took longer to convince him of the unconditional support of his position and human personality, underscoring the unhealthiness of modern society.
The questions that may or may not have been asked mostly had indirect answers from John under the general topic of discussion. The main one is the level of attitude in the immediate family circle, which is clearly unsatisfactory. In addition, an unasked question about John’s plans for his life could be described as untactful. The current stress level and societal inferiority do not allow a confident prediction of the following steps (Fish, 2020). Someone accustomed since childhood to a certain amount of racism and discrimination from those around them because of their own ethnicity has struggled with it all the time. However, the rejection by others of his psychological sex change has also dealt a blow to his sense of self, which is cruel and unacceptable.
Reference
Fish, J. N. (2020). Future directions in understanding and addressing mental health among LGBTQ youth. The Official Journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53, 49(6), 943–956. Web.