Some Thoughts On The Election: Stop Targeting Trans People

While TVs everywhere are tuned into the final innings of tonight's World Series Game, I'm sitting here giving trigger warnings to our kid who is trying to sit in the room while we are force-fed the bigoted, fear-mongering ads that are absolutely full of lies from TFG. 

So let me tell you just a little bit of what being the parent of a trans teen has been like for the past year and a half that our kid had the COURAGE to come out to us. For the greater part of two years, Toby has had a weekly therapy session with a LICENSED THERAPIST (not some fake "church counselor" or "advisor"). Toby has had to see his primary care doctor and his gender counselor and his gender-affirming doctor too many times to count ---just to see if this is real, true, connecting all the gender-dysphoria and depression together. Toby has also had to go through extensive legal legwork, to figure out how to legally change his name, get a proper ID and passport, all while trying to assure his uber-Christian biomom is on board and going to support all steps of this process without backing out at any moment.  He also goes nearly daily to youth centers and peer groups to find support and to just be a kid instead of wearing his gender-identity on his forehead. They do group activities, have a band that marched in Pride, and offer full support services. 

I could literally go on an on about how many clinics, blood draws, psychiatrists, testing centers, etc this kid has had to endure.. We WISH we knew sooner and could've gotten on board with puberty blockers. We wish we knew so he could've been in counseling before things got dark and he was silently suffering alone, trying to find any reason to stay alive one more day.

We are finally at the stage where Toby can actually start hormone therapy, and even that has been a hassle; we have the script but have to have the prescribing doctor administer the first dose, with weeks to wait for that appointment. 

I have shared all of this with his permission, because this election is personal. We are overjoyed every day that Toby is finding joy in his life, has hope in his life, and is actually thinking about a future, Seeing these insane ads from a misogynistic bigoted CONVICTED FELON who nearly killed us all the first time around compelled me to write during the final two innings of this game. Your life may not depend on this election, but the life of MY FAMILY certainly does.

There is no choice except Harris-Walz this election. None.