If someone tells you that they're transgender, the best thing to do is ask them how they would like to be supported, Erlick says. "Some people need others to advocate for them, and sometimes we want to advocate for ourselves," she says. Also, it's best not to probe or ask them personal questions about their life or medical procedures they may have had or plan to have, Adams says. And of course, keep your conversation between the two of you, unless the person specifically instructs you otherwise. Accidents happen, and if you let information about someone's sexual orientation or gender identity slip, you should be upfront with the people you told and the person who you outed. "Ask them to not share this information and explain how it puts the trans person at risk," Erlick says.