Texas transgender kids
“Republican Gov. Greg Abbott — seven days before the GOP primary election in which he’s being accused of not being conservative enough — ordered state child welfare officials to launch child abuse investigations into reports of transgender kids receiving gender-affirming care. “
“A recent study showed that more than 40% of transgender youth attempt suicide. The rate of suicide attempts among transgender youth is three times higher than among their cisgender counterparts, according to recent studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
While this action of Gov. Abbott may not have legal impact in Texas according to some experts, this is continuing a campaign against my transgender child and her friends. I would feel scared today if I lived in Texas and were parenting my transgender child. All the parents who are protecting their children by allowing their children to be themselves are superheroes. I know that it’s not easy. Child protective services has been called on me because neighbors were worried about me changing my child’s gender. I know about prejudice being used against me and my family. I have to keep a safe folder that has updated information about my child to show them when they come to visit. I have a knowledgeable family therapist for my child to support her. And we have a support network of other families and friends who are supportive.
For awhile now, our transgender children are being used in politics to raise money and get votes. That is outrageous. People think I have the power to change my child’s gender yet I can’t even get them to wash their hands after dinner. If I did, I wouldn’t want my child to go through this. We have lost community, family and friends because they couldn’t accept our child. Now, we have a government against us. It has risen to a governor saying that I’m abusing my child by supporting who she is. My child is wonderful the way she is. Yet, all this bigotry is wearing down children and their families. These children should have a childhood and not be worried about the government coming after them. Why are these kids being targeted?
Transgender young children only go through social transition when they come out. They can change their name, pronouns and clothes. They can also go through legal transition and change their name and sex on their birth certificate. When they start puberty, they can get hormone blockers to stop their body from changing into the wrong gender. There is no surgical transition until they are at least 18 years old. Puberty blockers are a pause button so that my daughter won’t have continued male puberty that includes facial hair, voice change and genital growth. This is reversible and gives her time to make sure that she knows herself. Cross hormones are permanent and only done under a doctor’s care just like the puberty blockers. In order to see an endocrinologist, you need a letter from a therapist who diagnoses gender dysphoria.
Many of our transgender children need medical intervention for their ultimate survival. As it says in the article, being transgender can increase their risk for suicide. My daughter has a right to be herself and we are not abusing our daughter by supporting her. I’m not sure what makes my young child dangerous to society. Is it her authenticity to be herself? Is it how cute she is? Is it how brave she is in sharing her true self? Is it that she loves to bike around the neighborhood? Is it that she is a targeted minority that deserves respect like her cisgender peers? Is it that she is too smart for school? I think that the authenticity these children live in their lives is awesome. My daughter needs to be herself. She needs to be able to stop male puberty from continuing in her body. If we lived a few hundred years ago we would not have been able to help her. But, today in 2022, we can support our child’s true identity. Her life is important as well as her mental health.
From the article below:
https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/28/texas-transgender-child-abuse/