Giving a little back is awesome
I was followed by a trans egg account on Twitter yesterday. I followed her back, and said “welcome”. Once we got past the initial pleasantries, it was obvious that she was very new and looking for role models, support and inspiration.
All the stuff I looked for myself back in the day, in fact.
I remember just how isolating it felt then to not know any other trans people, and how much every potential contact meant. A chance to be inspired. To find encouragement and support. To learn.
For me that was a very long time ago, and I’ve since learnt that being on the other side of that sort of conversation is a big responsibility. We owe it to our hatchlings to tread lightly, to inspire and be careful to do no harm.
So that is what I tried to do…to be hopeful, to reassure and (hopefully) inspire a little.
Eventually she gave her approximate location, and this is where trans Twitter came into its own. There are loads of trans folks on Twitter these days, and many of us know each other well. As a result I was able to point her in the direction of one of the “out” folks in her area who I knew would be happy to offer more local contact and support.
They’ve now said “hi!” to each other, and as a result she’s feeling a bit less alone.
Conversations like this remind me that no matter where we are, we all have the chance to help others, somehow. You just never know when the opportunity will come up, and what form it will take — but I know that when it does, we should tread lightly and do our best to lead by example.
