A parent and child in Brazil who identify as transgender transitioned together. A pair that had previously identified as mother and daughter, are now considered father and son. Public health care in their country became free and more accessible, reportedly enabling their joint transition.
The father and son have documented their journey for their 24,000 followers on Instagram. Ten-year-old Gustavo and 38-year-old Raphael, who were both assigned female at birth, both now identify as male.
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Raphael stopped identifying as a female last year, GBNews reports. Meanwhile, Gustavo started transitioning at 4 years old. Since then, he’s acted as both cisgender and transgender characters in films. Raphael and Gustavo have completed their transition for free in São Paolo, Brazil. Raphael is being treated at Campo Limpo Municipal Hospital. As a minor, Gustavo is being treated at Transdisciplinary Outpatient Clinic for Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation at the Institute of Psychiatry and the Pediatric Endocrinology Unit.
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Despite their parallel journeys, both father and son deny that they influenced the other. “It didn’t have any influence, but he [Gustavo] gave me strength and courage to face [the transition],” Raphael said about his son’s decision. Relating to his parent differently hasn’t been an issue for Gustavo. “It wasn’t difficult to call my mother dad,” the boy said.
The two have spoken about how they’d like to be addressed.
The transition has proven harder for others to grasp. In the past, Gustavo and Raphael have spoken out about people using their deadnames, the Daily Mail reported. Deadnames are the female names they were each given at birth and used before their transition. In the caption for one of their Instagram videos, they wrote: “Even though it is our right to have the social name respected in practice, respect rarely happens in fact,” per an English translation.
The change has brought Raphael great joy.
Since their transition, Raphael and Gustavo have been able to attend celebratory trans events together. They’ve each been embraced by the community. Raphael has shared his gratitude for the experience. Reflecting on one event he wrote, “What a blessing to be next to so many amazing people who have filled us with love and hope. Being called by my name Raphael was so surreal I had never felt so happy like that day.”
