A majority of trans and gender diverse people have to interact in some way with their family, whether they are still young enough to be living at home with their parents or carers, or because they are reliant upon family members for care, support or financial support, at any stage of their lives.

An overwhelming percentage of trans people also report that they fear coming out to their families for fear of abandonment, discrimination and harm. Oftentimes parents and families are their trans or gender diverse family member’s first ally, and have the opportunity to be their biggest supporters.

Being an ally doesn’t mean always getting it 100% right, but it does mean knowing when to stop and apologise, how to self-educate so mistakes are less common, and to listen and learn from those to whom you are an ally. Allyship isn’t just a description, it’s a doing word, and requires action and change.