For Ethan, who just turned 15, things started to become more clear when he had a teacher who is gay in the 7th grade. 'This teacher talked extensively about LGBTIQ+ and being different. It opened my eyes. But it wasn’t until years later that I felt confident enough to express myself', Ethan explains. 'During the pandemic, we all became distanced from school and that gave me time to discover my true self. Online I made many friends worldwide. The stories of transgender friends strengthened me to come out in my second year of high school (2VWO). It was the scariest thing I had to do in my life. I was afraid people would look at me differently, especially my best friend since Kindergarten. Fortunately, most people responded very positively.'

Struggling for years Marcel and his wife quickly got used to the new situation and immediately went into an action mode with Ethan. 'Many people tell us how brave we are to accept Ethan as transgender. But that is ridiculous. There is nothing to accept, it is what it is, and Ethan is just being himself', he says. 'The real challenge is the transition path and the way the ignorant treat people who are transgender. Lots of people say being transgender is such a hype these days. But there are no benefits of any kind. In fact, people who are transgender are often looked down upon and in some countries coming out can even be life-threatening. It surely is not something you would choose.' 'Believe me,' Ethan adds, 'when someone comes out as transgender, they are not following a trend or hype. Transgenders have often been struggling for years.'

The next step Coming out as transgender was a big relief for Ethan. But the next step is also a difficult one. 'The waiting time for the transition process is extremely long', he sighs. 'On average, it takes no less than two years for the very first intake meeting. I was lucky enough to start my process last month and I am so looking forward to the legal change. But as someone who is afraid of needles, I am dreading the physical part of it. Inside I already feel completely as a boy. However, my body still looks very feminine and that needs to change for my environment.' Ethan is not bullied at school. But not a day goes by without kids talking about him behind his back. 'It is something I have to deal with and the buddy I got via Qpido [https://www.qpido.nl/], a platform that supports transgender kids, helps me out tremendously. Talking to someone with the right experience in a safe environment can make all the difference in the world.'

Being different is the norm Marcel couldn’t agree more with his son. 'A safe environment is very important. At home, but also at work. Deloitte is making very good and important steps in this regard. We have a gender transition policy, gender-inclusive restrooms, try to be respectful, open and non-judgmental towards each other, and make a real effort in creating an inclusive working environment by organising communities for women, neurodiversity, cultural diversity and LGBTIQ+. For now, it is absolutely necessary to pay extra attention to these kinds of communities and stories. But my wish for the future would be that being different is the norm.' PROUD At Deloitte, we recognize that not every individual identifies with the gender that they were assigned at birth and that for some, this may result in the decision to transition. We want to support colleagues through this significant period in their life and our gender transition support policy has been designed specifically with this is mind. Read more about PROUD. [https://careersatdeloitte.com/proud-at-deloitte]