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I am a mother to three children, two girls ages 7 and 9, and one transgender boy, age 11. His name is Cody and he was born a girl. I am writing this because the practical effect of the VCPA for us is that the current care being administered to my child by the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) would be classified as a felony thereunder, which is nonsense. Please allow me to explain. Beginning at four years of age, Cody began displaying symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), depression, and anxiety. We treated those symptoms with psychiatric care, specialized schools, and medication. I always felt like there was something else we were missing - something big. I struggled to find the root cause of the anxiety and depression and had no choice but to believe that it was a result of the ASD. This past summer, Cody began menstruating. Two months later, Cody got his hair cut to match my husband (his father's) hair, which is kept very short. He was the happiest I have eve

My name is Jeremy. My wife and I have been married for 20 years and have 2 great children. One in middle school and the other in high school. They are both in advanced classes and get straight A's. Several years ago, my 13-year-old daughter (at the time) told me she thought she was a boy. She said she felt like that since she was born. Both my wife and I freaked out. We didn't know what just happened. We told her to take a month-long break and we would regroup and revisit the topic. A month later she told us that she had changed her mind, that she didn't know what she had been thinking. It was a tough middle school year for her, and we noticed she was spending more and more time in her room. Six months later we found her cutting herself. After months of counseling, she came to us and said, "Mom, Dad - I really am a boy. I always have been." She had been afraid to tell us the truth, thinking that we might kick her out of the house if she really was a boy. M

In the following posts, family members speak about their trans kids and the need for gender-affirming medical care to ensure their children are safe and supported. These stories are written by people opposed to proposed legislation (VCPA) that would criminalize accepted and expected medical care for transgender youth and subject medical professionals to imprisonment. #nowayvcpa

I have coached young high school students for more than 30 years and have experienced the joy of watching these athletes grow into fine young adults, but not without struggles. The schools where I have coached have been in predominately low-income areas and many of the students struggle with a multitude of issues that make them more vulnerable to abuse. One of those issues is gender identity. I do not fully understand what these students are going through, but I can see the pain and anguish they experience trying to resolve this struggle and their feelings of being hopeless and alone. I am also a federal law enforcement officer of almost 30 years. Throughout my service, I dealt with innumerable cases of sex trafficking and pornography where children- especially teenagers — were vulnerable victims of predators. Frequently, these children were experiencing gender identity issues. They felt isolated, confused, and desperate, unable on their own to resolve their conflict in a positive

It has been three months since my 15-year-old assigned male at birth child told us in a letter (two pages typed) that she was transgender. Admittedly, it took us by surprise to hear her say she wanted to live the rest of her life as a female. We did not see it coming and the memories of her obsession with construction, then superheroes, then Star Wars flashed in my mind. She had been a "happy little boy" growing up. She sat with us while we read the letter, our eyes both watering. I stood up and hugged her, told her I loved her no matter what and that I had a lot to learn and would need time to process. She was understanding. Since that day, I have read all I can, found a wonderful therapist for her, and joined supportive groups like PFLAG and groups I found online. I have learned a lot and have a lot to still learn. No child asks to experience gender dysphoria nor do they want to subject themselves to teasing and bullying. Our gender-affirming therapist initially recom

Joseph Campbell said “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Before heroes are able to rely on their strengths – intellectually, physically, and emotionally -- they must make the journey - the adventure - to discover their authentic selves. This begins in their ordinary world with them being completely unaware of their hero potential, believing that they are the weird kid or that something is wrong with them. Then something happens in their life – oh, let’s say puberty or just growing up – and they are called to their adventure. Our youngest daughter is fifteen years old. When she was born, the hospital checked the box for male on her birth certificate and so that is how we knew her. As a boy. Prior to her reaching puberty, she was living a normal kid’s life, enjoying her advanced classes at school, participating in science and engineering camps, creating art, and learning to play jazz on the trombone; however, once she hit puberty, we noticed her grades slipping an

My name is Ann Miller. I'm a wife of 34 years, a mother of two, a grandmother of one. My career was retail management until I left it to be a stay at home mom. I took my kids to church, to scouts, to the lake, and to the library. My husband has his own business as a financial advisor and educator. We own a home, two cars, and a boat. We work, shop, pay taxes, save for retirement, and live in the absolutely most conventional way imaginable. And we have a transgender son. A transgender guy is assigned female at birth and in our child's case, lived 17 years as a female. I can look back on his growing up now with clarity and realize how much in denial I was about his struggle. I first heard about transgender children when my child was about eight or nine. I remember thinking then, "Oh no! I might have this in my future." because said assigned girl child was so very insistent on loving all things boyish: wanting to wear boy clothes, play "boy" games, have boys