I’m in my 60s. Most people who read newspapers and magazines in the 1970s knew about what were then called “sex change operations.” We had also heard about gay people but many of us weren’t aware we knew any because few were open about it. It came as a great shock to many as the years rolled on that gay people were far more common than we had been aware.

Recently, it has become apparent that trans people are also more common than anyone back then could have ever imagined. I don’t think transphobic is always an accurate description for those who reject the new attitudes surrounding gender. A phobia is an irrational fear. One doesn’t necessarily fear trans people or hate them just because they don’t accept their stated gender status. When something you’ve believed your whole life to be true is challenged, there’s a struggle to adapt to a new reality.

It took a very long time for the general public to adapt to the reality of the gay community. And yes, some still haven’t and never will. This will take time, too. The important thing is that, thoughts, feelings, and beliefs aside, every person deserves to be treated with courtesy and dignity, and to be equal under the law.