Lily, 16, says she came out to her parents as transgender when she was in the sixth grade at age 12.
“When I was younger, I would kind of go toward feminine things,” she says. When she was ready to come out, she says she first told her mother. “That was a huge relief to have supportive parents.”
Lily and her mother, Britt, join Dr. Phil to offer advice to Sheila and her child, Arianna, who are at odds over Arianna’s transition.
Britt tells Dr. Phil that when Lily came out to her, she was scared but she knew she had to be supportive. “I knew that my reaction to it was very important for my child to see that I was going to help my child, that I was going to be there, that we were going to work through this,” Britt says.
Lily reiterates the importance of having parents who accepted her, and says, “Something that I thought would tear us apart brought us closer together.”
To Sheila and Arianna, Lily says, “I think they need to transition together as a family. They all need to learn about what it means to be trans. In order for them all to move on, they’re going to have to educate themselves and find out how are they going to make it work.”
Britt shares what she’s learned with Sheila. “I think one of the best gifts you can give to yourself is to let go of what every other person in your community thinks … and I think when you can let go of the worry, let go of being judged, you’ll find that it’s a gift.”
Watch more from this episode here.