“I wish I had my dad back”: Trans influencer Sam Goldon speaks out after seeing father in anti-trans campaign ads
One trans Alaskan is talking back to their father's anti-trans politics—while keeping his humanity in mind.
Mark
Coming out as trans to your family doesn’t always yield gentle results. The road to acceptance is long, hard, and winding, and sometimes, there’s a lot of regression before there’s progress.
Other times there’s no progress at all, something that tends to happen when people are so soaked in propaganda that they can’t hear anything else, even from their own families. That’s what happened to Alaskan trans influencer Sam Goldon, who posted a few weeks ago about losing their father temporarily to transphobic politics.
“I’m trans and I have to watch my dad on TV in conservative political ads,” reads Goldon’s now-viral post. Their father, Alaskan politician Peter Goldberg, has been using his military service record as part of a smear campaign directed against Democratic hopeful Mary Peltola.
The situation is even more complicated by the fact that Peltola, despite a staunch record of trans allyship, caught fire some weeks ago for allegedly using the f-slur with staffers.
Politics, but make it gay!
Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
Growing up, Goldon and their father had a complex, but loving, relationship. But Goldberg’s recent decision to support Nick Begich, a GOP candidate with rigid anti-trans views, was a painful turn of events for Goldon, who saw their father’s ad while watching HBO Max.
Despite trying to reason with their father, Goldberg hasn’t been able to hear reason, and for Goldon, it’s heartbreaking. But Goldon is hoping that the relationship can change. They’re not looking to trash their father—they just want him to stop buying into the hate.
“I wish I had my dad back,” they wrote. “I know I’m not alone in that feeling.”
Goldon’s post quickly struck a chord with queer and trans readers facing rifts with family over their anti-LGBTQ+ views. It’s a painful situation that isn’t helped by reductive reasoning. “‘Estranged’ is not a word I would’ve ever used about my relationship with my father,” Goldon commented on a separate post about their story. “I never wanted him to be painted in a negative light. Yes, he has hurt me, but I know I’ve hurt him too.”
Goldon is also hoping that their father can eventually stop listening to the pervasive anti-trans propaganda, and start listening to his child.
“I honestly have a lot of fear that they have or will see my post (or articles about it) and be upset by it and then drive the wedge further. That’s not what I want,” Goldon told Queerty. “We have so much in common…But somehow these days we can’t hold a conversation without the political divide creeping between us and I think that’s because it truly is a moral divide at this point, and that is so hard to overlook.”
For trans children of parents who fail to accept them, trying to keep lines of communication open is a hard process. But for many, it’s still worth fighting for. It’s not always as simple as cutting off family members whose ignorance actively hurts their trans relatives. For many, the hope of reconnection remains, however painful it might feel.
“I still have hope,” Goldon told Queerty. “I really want the ending, or at least the next chapter, to be one where we come back together. I have such sweet memories with him growing up. He was such a great dad in so many ways.”
Related
TikTok mom rescued by comments after accidental “locktober” announcement: “I appreciate you guys being here”
We’ve unlocked a new icon.
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
