April 20, 2021 by Leslie McMurray | Transgender Education and Advocacy Associate
It’s been a tough few weeks. As our legislative session began this year, Texas was facing some significant challenges – among them:
- An electric grid that came within minutes of collapse this winter
- Balancing a budget damaged by lost revenue from Covid-19 closures
- Vaccinating 28 million Texans from a deadly disease
- Re-districting following the release of Census data
Our legislature set right to work – crafting more than two dozen bills targeting the LGBTQIA+ community and many of those, at transgender children.
Look, I’m an adult. My ship has sailed as far as these bills are concerned. But my heart aches and I’ve ugly cried watching the testimony of a 10-year- old trans girl begging adults to make good choices and not deny her access to the healthcare that is her lifeline. HB 1399 would interfere with the doctor/patient relationship by denying a physician’s ability to access liability insurance if they were to provide affirming care to a transgender child.
This hit me like a brick. When I was little, affirming care wasn’t available. Heck, the word “transgender” wasn’t coined until I was 14 years old and puberty blockers weren’t available. Instead, during my puberty years, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, praying to God to please stop this from happening as tears ran down and collected in my ears. I don’t want to be six feet tall with size 12 women’s shoes. I hate my deep voice, and my shoulders and the facial hair that grew. I hated all of it.
Thankfully, today, it’s possible for children to avoid what happened to me. To deny it to them, when the doctor agrees, the parents agree and the psychologist agrees is cruel and inhumane. I can feel the pain and the terror facing trans children in Texas. Forcing them into an unwanted and irreversible puberty when it DOESN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN is morally reprehensible.
I know, lots of organizations are asking for your help. I’m not asking for money…I’m asking you to stand up and DO something. A phone call, an email; something. I’m sick inside at the thought of this law passing. National polls have shown a solid 2/3 majority of people of all political persuasions and demographics are opposed to these bills targeting transgender children…so what’s their motivation?
Albert Einstein has been widely quoted as saying “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.“
Don’t be someone who sees this atrocity in the making and does nothing. Please stand up for these kids. They deserve a better shot at life, but the clock is ticking.
Take these to actions right now and make your voice heard.
Featured image by © 2018 AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
