is the title of this piece in Time by Wayne Maines, father of actress Nicole Maines, who is transgendered.
It is a must read. I am only going to quote a little bit.
The piece was written in the aftermath of the adoption of a Republican platform that to put it simply is hostile to trans children. Maines notes that when his conservative friends are uncomfortable about this
I’ve asked them what they would do if their child faced a 50-percent chance of attempting suicide because adults were uncomfortable being around their baby. I cannot share these stories without tears running down my face. I have lost thousands of hours of sleep because I feel that too often I failed to protect my daughter from bullying, harassment and discrimination from adults, from peers and, yes, from politicians.
He then goes on to add this:
It saddens me that anyone might support a platform that hurts any family. If I was in Cleveland, I would tell them that even when my family had nowhere to turn, my wife and I encouraged our children to be proud of who they are. We promised them that we would do everything in our power to make sure they have the same rights as their classmates. And we fought for them in the courts—for years—until Maine’s highest court said that my daughter had the right to be treated by her school as the young woman we all know she is.
There is much more. You should read the piece.
Maines also participated in a just released video put out by the Human Rights Campaign that also appears at the link for his piece. Here is that video, which will take you less than four minutes to watch, It is titled “Dads for Transgendered Equality” —
Now go read the entire piece, and pass it on, especially the video.
Thanks.