Holding on to Hope
- Suzanne DeWitt Hall
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Has a friend or family member come out as transgender?
My husband is trans, and I’ve been writing about gender issues for years. I’ve walked down a road similar to the one you’re on and have created resources to travel with you through some of the issues you’ll face.
For many of us, hearing the news that a loved one isn't the gender we've understood them to be comes as a shock and creates confusion about how to respond. If that describes you, you’ve come to the right place.
My book Holding on to Hope offers help for family members and friends of trans and non-binary people. It’s also a resource for teachers, pastors, social workers, guidance counselors, and others who work in fields involving deep engagement in people’s lives.
The book is written in the style of a daily devotional, with short entries on a single topic. Reading one entry a day can be a useful way to process information slowly at a time when things feel overwhelming. A glossary right up front offers a crash course in terminology and is useful for later reference. There’s an index at the back so you can easily look up topics in the future.
When someone you love comes out as transgender, you’re given the opportunity to examine the world as you’ve known it in a new light. You have no choice but to consider not only who your loved one is, but who you are; internally, in the roles you perform, in how you present yourself through dress and behavior, and in many other ways.
It may not feel like it now, but this examination is a great gift, allowing you to discover the depths of your capability to learn, hope, and love.
Keep holding on to hope.
Suzanne DeWitt Hall (she/they) is the author of the Where True Love Is devotional series, the Living in Hope series of books supporting the loved ones of transgender people, The Language of Bodies (Woodhall Press, 2022), and the Rumplepimple adventures.
