Parenting a transgender teen is not the most interesting thing about me. For 2020, I’ve decided to include posts about life in general, in addition to parenting a transgender teen. I find writing to be therapeutic. I actually have two children, work at a soup kitchen, and have a host of other things going on in my life that I’d like to write about. I hope you’ll find other posts on this site relatable too!
Welcome to the Mama Bear Club! My advice to you as you begin this journey is this: take a d e e p breath. I promise, everything is going to be okay. A dear friend of mine once said to me, “A year from now, everything is going to look very different than it does right now.” I know it is difficult to imagine, but I promise you it will be different, and better!
After many tumultuous years that began in 8th grade, our oldest daughter, Heather, came out to me as transgender via a text message on her 16th birthday. I had no idea what the word even meant! It took some time for me to catch up with her on this journey, a year and a half to be exact.
When we began this journey in 2016, I sought out blogs to find more information. Four years ago, when I typed in “parenting a transgender teenager,” believe it or not, absolutely nothing useful came up. Families like ours were hiding. I sure found an awful lot of “anti” blogs though. I decided at that moment, once I was further along on my journey, I would start my own blog and share honest testimony of raising a transgender teenager.
To say that I am “woke” is an understatement. Knowledge is power. I’m no longer scared for my daughter, I’m angry. My desire is for her, and everyone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, to have equality.
Once you are ready, share your knowledge. Share your story with anyone who will listen. Use your social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) to tell your story and share information about the LGBTQ+ community. Normalizing this conversation is critical to the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation.
Finally, if you haven’t done so already, get yourself to the nearest PFLAG meeeting. There is no substitute for the support you will receive from people who are on the same journey!
Mama Bear 