As a nonbinary person who is a “they/them” user, I am 100% here for cis folks helping to normalize “they/them” by using it themselves. It does not hurt me a single iota if more people use they/them, and if it gets others used to it, then it helps me and others who need the general population to be okay with using they/them. The columnist should have asked a variety of trans folks before assuming it’s a Dolezal situation.

Also LW is assuming that, because their relative has presented as cis up until now, they’re cis. Many people do things “in solidarity” with LGBTQ folks and gradually realize it wasn’t solidarity - they are LGBTQ themselves..