As a trans person, coming out to anyone can be difficult, but what if the person you were coming out to was your 86-year-old devoted Catholic grandmother?
That's exactly the situation that Leah Hintz from Florida found herself in last week when she decided to reveal her secret to her family.
Twenty-year-old Leah took to social media on Thursday, 10 May, to live-tweet the entire nerve-wracking experience. But, despite her initial reservations, the situation turned out rather well, with her grandma and father both having heartwarming reactions to her confession and her picture going viral with around 171,000 people likes and over 20,000 retweets.
Just before Leah had the awkward conversation that she was dreading, she tweeted of her anxiety about the situation, posting: "so umm... i'm coming out to my dad and my grandma as a trans woman today!! this is how i'll look when i tell them!! & i'm super nervous!! (please send help)"
However, it turned out that there was no need to be nervous at all. Firstly Leah told her 86-year-old grandma, who responded to the revelation with a truly touching speech, quoted by Leah in her Twitter thread. It read: "'You've always been so kind and sensitive. Now I see femininity in those memories. I'm proud of you for recognizing who you are and living as your true self. You're a beautiful woman and, no matter who you become, I love you.' — my 86-year-old grandmother, learning I'm trans".
In a follow-up, Leah added that she had shown her grandmother the hundreds of replies from touched strangers around the world, describing the elderly woman as "overwhelmed and speechless".
Next up was Leah's father, who had an equally as fabulous reaction to her big reveal. Telling Leah that her make-up looked pretty and that she was his child and he'd love her no matter what, his reaction also warmed hearts all across social media
Recording the conversation, Leah wrote: "Me: ‘So… you can learn to see me as a woman?’ Dad: ‘Of course. You’re my child and I love you. Loving you means supporting you, even if it’ll be a learning experience for me.’"
Describing the family visit as "blessed", Leah also added that her 18-year-old brother had come out as gay and now had a boyfriend. In addition, she asked everyone reading the thread to reach out to a trans person they knew and to tell them that they loved them. Using the hashtag #translivesmatter, she told her followers how important it was to let trans people know that they mattered.
Her moving story proves that you should never underestimate the love and acceptance your family can have for you, they just might surprise you.
