Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 24: Tibetan transgender artist, author, and community educator Tenzin Mingyur Paldron, also known as Doc Tenzin, spoke candidly about identity, parental love, community responsibility, and social change during the launch of his graphic memoir A Capacity to Change at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) on Friday. The event was organised by Women’s Empowerment Desk (WED).
Speaking about the origins of the book, Doc Tenzin said the work grew out of personal notes he had been writing for over a decade, often recording conversations with his parents after the death of a close family member. “When someone important passed away, I realised I wanted to remember the things my parents said to me,” he shared.
The project initially took shape as a shorter piece for a magazine before evolving into a standalone publication. The title, A Capacity to Change, was inspired by a quote from actor and activist Laverne Cox and a moment of reflection while riding a New York subway. “Everything was changing—people coming in and out, doors opening and closing. That stayed with me,” he said.
Mingyur noted that the book is also a stepping stone toward a larger project he hopes to complete in the future. Financial constraints led him to publish a smaller work first, with the book ultimately funded through community support and personal contributions. He emphasised the power of visual storytelling, saying art can reach audiences “in ways words alone sometimes cannot.”
Addressing the role of family in supporting LGBTQI+ children, Mingyur highlighted unconditional parental love as the most critical factor. He spoke movingly of his parents, particularly his mother, for standing by him without shame or hesitation. “Even when parents don’t fully understand gender or sexuality, the first thing is the relationship between parent and child,” he said. “When a child knows they are loved and welcome at home, they gain the confidence to face the world.”
He cautioned against framing acceptance as a purely cultural or geographical issue, rejecting the idea that Tibetans in exile are inherently more accepting than those elsewhere. “Love is not about location,” he said. “It’s about people.”
On the role of the wider community, Mingyur acknowledged that fear of social judgment often isolates parents of LGBTQI children. He urged community members to offer support through everyday gestures rather than grand declarations. “Sometimes you can’t change everything, but you can be a neighbour, a friend,” he said, adding that small affirmations can ease the burden parents carry. “Every household has its own story.”
One of the most striking sections of his talk addressed what he described as “restroom politics” and its broader implications for transgender safety and dignity. Drawing from personal experience, Mingyur recounted being harassed, laughed at, and even reported to the police for using public restrooms during his teenage years in the United States.
“Wherever society pushes me—women’s restroom or men’s restroom—it was never about where I was safe,” he said. He argued that debates around bathroom access often ignore the lived realities of transgender people and reduce basic human needs to political battlegrounds. “A bathroom is a human necessity,” he said. “If you cannot safely use one, your entire experience of being in public space becomes limited.”
Responding to a question on diversity within the Tibetan community, Mingyur used the metaphor of a bridge to illustrate collective strength. Recalling stories from his grandmother about crossing a precarious bridge in Tibet, he said no single part of the bridge is more important than another.
“Our community is like a bridge,” he said. “Some may stand in the middle, others at the edge—but without every part, you cannot cross.” He argued that embracing linguistic, cultural, gender, and experiential diversity would strengthen rather than dilute the Tibetan struggle. “Tibet has many rivers, not one,” he said, noting that diversity fuels creativity, resilience, and collective power.
In response to an audience question on encouraging transgender individuals who live in fear or secrecy, Mingyur likened people to plants seeking the right conditions to grow. He urged individuals to seek environments that nurture joy, safety, and creativity.
“Move toward the soil that supports you,” he said. “Joy is not a distraction—it’s a way of surviving and bringing others along.”
While acknowledging the long road ahead for gender justice, he concluded that systems built on fear and exclusion are ultimately unsustainable. “Love and care are what allow communities to survive,” he said. “By nature, they always win.”
