How to Deal with People Who are Hateful Toward Transgender People!
Dr. Z shares a very stark analogy for dealing with hateful people during difficult anti-trans times. Warning: if you're eating, watch this later.
First, understand the difference between reacting and responding. People who respond are self-aware, grounded, and open to dialogue. People who react are not in control of their triggers or feelings—they're reacting with hate and anger, trying to dehumanize you and strip you of dignity.
The analogy: People who are hateful are like babies who haven't learned to control their bowel movements. They're adults wearing metaphorical diapers, having outbursts all over themselves because they can't control their emotions around triggers. When you see hateful comments or behavior, you're seeing an adult sitting on the floor, unable to control themselves, making a mess.
Hate stinks. When you engage with people who've made this mess, you're stepping into it—then you drag it into your space because you can't get their hate out of your mind. Don't engage. Walk away. You're not their parent to clean up their mess.
Watch to find out why hateful people only look good to other hateful people.
