Elliot Page’s announcement offers a learning opportunity for all of us

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Elliot Page wrote a letter on Instagram announcing he is transgender with he/they pronouns. Within hours, Netflix had every pronoun corrected to he or him.

Local trans female, Dani Snarr, says this is an important opportunity for all of us to recognize the way we approach the trans community.

"This just goes to show you that he shouldn't be referred to as his dead name. He shouldn't be referred to as his old pronoun," Snarr said.

Deadnaming is when you refer to a trans person by their birth name, a name they no longer use. Snarr says this can be very offensive and disrespectful to our trans community.

"For a lot of trans people, when they are deadnamed, it can create severe triggers and a flashback to a very painful time in their life," Snarr said.

Snarr worries that some neighbors are wondering why Elliot's announcement is coming across their Instagram feed. They may not want to see the story in the media or want their children to be exposed to these types of messages.

"What happens if that kid is trans? It's important for kids to relate to certain characters," Snarr said. "Kids are so pure and so amazing that, you know, the different type of negative thinking on others is something that's taught in children."

Snarr says it is our job as parents to teach our kids to be loving, open, and accepting of all individuals, even the ones who are different from us.

"We just want to be people," Snarr said. "We just want to be accepted and treated just like everyone else."

You can find more information on how to talk to your children about LGBTQ issues here.