A trans woman has revealed their grandparents offered to provide conversion therapy during a three-month ‘masculine’ summer holiday in a post that sparked outrage online.
The social media user, believed to be from the US, shared photographs of the alleged letter on the ‘Am I Overreacting’ subreddit and their post quickly went viral – with over 6,300 comments at the time of writing.
Their grandparents outlined a programme that comprised a mix of ‘physical, mental and spiritual’ activities they believed would change the Reddit user’s attitude and ‘physique’.
They proposed frequent haircuts, zero contact with any ‘boyfriends’ and being addressed by their deadname ‘or nobody will take you seriously as a man’.
According to the 21-year-old Redditor’s caption, they are not close to their conservative grandparents who probably learned about their gender identity from their mother’.
They added their father has been in ‘full agreement with them’ and clarified they’ve ‘never mentioned surgery’ to their grandparents.
The Reddit user, who works at American diesel engine manufacturer Cummins, also felt it was ‘inappropriate’ for their grandparents to bring up ‘sexual satisfaction’ before asking the community whether they were overreacting.
The majority of social media users agreed the letter was offensive and ignorant, before the trans grandchild revealed they had sent back an ‘equally d***ish letter’ to their grandparents.
A trans person has revealed their grandparents offered to provide conversion therapy during a three-month ‘masculine’ summer holiday in a post that sparked outrage online (stock image)
The social media user, believed to be from the US, shared photographs of the alleged letter on the ‘Am I Overreacting’ subreddit and their post quickly went viral – with over 6,300 comments at the time of writing
The original letter was dated June 20, 2025 and began with the grandparents expressing ‘shock and dismay’ after learning about the Reddit user’s gender identity.
They warned their grandchild would ‘never experience sexual satisfaction’ if they went ahead with gender reassignment surgery, adding: ‘The plain fact is that you were born to be a man…’
In the shocking two-page letter to their grandchild, who clarified they cut off contact with them over their ‘far right’ views, the elderly couple apparently suggested people might have embarrasingly ‘mistaken you for a girl’.
‘The solution ,’ they wrote, ‘is not to confirm or encourage their mistake, but to ask yourself why they would think that.
‘You seem willing to go to great and extreme lengths to make the change, but would you put any effort into being manly?’
Some of the activities proposed during this three-month ‘working vacation’ included ‘physical’ tasks such as cutting and trimming trees, household repairs and ‘digging fence posts’.
The Reddit user’s grandparents also listed tasks like ‘learning how to operate machinery’ and woodwork, as well as ‘spiritual training’ and spending ‘time with us’ while refraining from using the computer or playing any ‘video or phone games’.
They also recommended resigning from Cummins ‘if they are so “woke” as to pay for’ their grandchild’s sex change surgery.
They ended the ‘transphobic’ letter by saying: ‘What you are considering would not only be a physical train wreck but a disaster in family relations, social, and employment relationships, and above all, would be an insult to God that could result in total apostasy and abandonment by God.’
The post sparked a flurry of support for the young trans person, as Reddit users criticised the ‘toxic’ grandparents while expressing shock at their ‘completely delusional’ proposal for ‘free religious indoctrination’ in exchange for ‘unpaid labour’.
One person advised ‘binning’ the letter and ‘living your life on your own terms as best you can’, adding: ‘Even without the transphobic aspect…this just seems like a creepy “join our cult”ish letter anyway.’
Another also recommended ‘throwing that s*** in the trash’ while adding: ‘They are clearly insane people to even suggest working around the yard and putting up a fence is gonna have any outcome on how you feel inside as a person.’
A third person told the Reddit user they ‘deserve better’ and added: ‘I’m sorry you have to even read this letter. I’m sorry your family is not more supportive.’
Several people pointed out ‘women can enjoy’ activities like woodwork and welding as one user asked: ‘What is his point?’
A woman agreed and replied: ‘I know right? According to them, I should be returning all my welding certificates because of my uterus.’
In response to one user who advised ‘sending back a letter in a similarly concerned tone about how their judgement isn’t godly’, they said, ‘I did sent an equally d***sh letter back to them’ before sharing the text.
The post sparked a flurry of support for the young trans person, as Reddit users criticised the ‘toxic’ grandparents while expressing shock at their ‘completely delusional’ proposal for ‘free religious indoctrination’ in exchange for ‘unpaid labour’
‘Truthfully if anything is shocking or dismaying to me, it that you felt entitled to weigh in on something so personal despite not being present throughout my life,’ their scathing comeback read.
Their letter, praised as a ‘masterclass of a response’, was signed with their chosen name and a heart as they told their grandparents ‘don’t expect another letter’.
