It’s Time to Speak Out
Posted on Jul 12, 2014 | 3 comments
Two years after our daughter’s transition, my husband and I were growing increasingly frustrated at the continued myths about transgender kids and their families. One day we were talking about possibly starting to speak out more. The next day, we were called and asked to participate in a local newspaper story. When it came out, I wrote a blog post on a friend’s site adding in a few things that had been cut from the article. Then a friend suggested I send that article in to the Listen To Your Mother Show to further share our story.
The rest, as they say, is history. I was selected to be in the cast of the 2014 Listen To Your Mother Show in Kansas City. My story was then published on BlogHer, the show’s sponsor, a few days later. More news story requests came in and people started contacting the reporters asking to get in touch with me.
My husband and I saw a need. Parents in our area wanted to connect. They thought they were alone in raising a gender non-conforming child. They wanted help. They wanted answers. They wanted to talk to another parent who had been in their shoes and knew that everything would be ok.
So the idea of Trans-Parenting.com was born. I went from never even whispering my daughter’s story to telling it on a stage under a spotlight. I have tried to collect all of the resources I used during those first two years of her journey in one place so that other parents will be able to answer all of their burning questions here. I’ll continue to add resources to make this the most comprehensive site for parents in the Midwest.
If you have any questions that haven’t been addressed here yet, please send me a note and let me know what you need. I will happily search out answers for you.
In the meantime, please watch my daughter’s story below.
And as we say to our daughter, don’t let anyone dull your sparkle…
Debi
I am a 56 year old trans-man. I started the transition at 54. I Identified as Lesbian prior to that, keeping my “secret” to my self. During therapy for depression after a 20 year relationship breakup I could not ignore it any longer.
At first I figured whats the point at this age. I found great inspiration an courage after meeting younger people who at their age were going through bigger challenges then I would. I would look at them and see the fear an sadness on their faces and just wanted to hug them an tell them how brave they were. So decided enough was enough go for it even if I die at 60 it has been the most wonderful thing to live who you are.Thank You for your words of courage an truth.
Nicholas
I was fortunate to find a video of your speech on HuffPost the other day and have since re-posted it on Facebook and sent it to a few of my trans friends. Your speech was profoundly moving because the love that you have for your child is extraordinary. Most parents love their children but very few would be able to embrace a trans-child, even many of the most liberal-minded ones, the way you have.
You are going to have a long, rough road ahead but you have given your daughter a gift, a freedom that will help her to grow, to love, to flourish. That freedom and the support that you’ll give along with it are the greatest gifts that any parent could give to a child.
You are a wonderful human being and I hope that there is someone around to remind you of that when you face the obstacles that life with throw in your way. God bless you, Debi.
Debi Jackson: Great speech. You are a brave woman and a wonderful mother.