Just one ounce of grace
Reese's mother clearly remembers the day her then-ten-year-old child swallowed a handful of pills. "I know I'll never really be a boy," Reese told his anguished parents as he recovered in the hospital. At that point, they knew they had to act quickly to get Reese, who was assigned female at birth but had long insisted to his parents that he was a boy, the help he needed. Fortunately, the family was able to access gender affirming care through the medical system. Now in high school, Reese is flourishing--comfortable in expressing who he is, making good friends and exploring extracurricular interests like art.
But Reese and his family live in Texas. They are multi-generation Texans, in fact. And they know that recent legislation is going to make it difficult, if not impossible, for young people like Reese to access the gender affirming services that have made all the difference in the lives of countless transgender youth.
Trying hard not to despair, Reese's mother has a simple request. People don't have to agree with their decisions about how to best support Reese. But they could "give us just one ounce of grace or understanding or compassion." Otherwise, she and her family might have to pull up roots and leave the state that has been their home for generations--a decision that just a short time ago would have seemed unthinkable.
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Learn about Reese and his family's story, as told by his mother to SLATE.
References:
Urquhart, Evan. (2023, April 20). My Son is Trans. We Live in Texas. SLATE. https://slate.com/technology/2023/04/gender-affirming-care-texas-teen-trans-boy.html
