Let Trans Kids Grow
With all of the hate the trans community has been facing recently I wanted to create something beautiful to give trans kids hope for their future. Butterflies are a symbol of transformation, hope and growth. I want this shoot to be a reminder for trans youth to keep fighting. There are bills across the country taking away gender affirming care for trans youth, taking trans youth away from the families, forcing them into bathrooms they don’t belong in, excluding them from sports, the list goes on. In order to fight for our rights as a community we have to fight for our trans kids too. They deserve healthcare, they deserve to be valued, they deserve to be loved, they deserve to live their lives as who they are….Trans kids deserve to grow into trans adults.
I hope this shoot emphasizes the fact that there’s growth in transformation. Our trans youth needs to see that change CAN be beautiful. The trans community and our allies won’t stop fighting for your rights as trans youth in this country. So trans kids, if you’re reading this… spread your wings. Be proud of who you are, and don’t stop fighting.
There have been so many debates recently regarding the lives of trans kids but for some reason it’s always cis people making their own opinions about how trans people should live. Saying “Trans kids are too young to know that they’re transgender!” or that “Trans kids are going to regret it if they transition!” Cis people need to stop having opinions on issues that DO NOT RELATE TO THEM. They have absolutely no idea what it feels like to question your gender. Data indicates that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth. (PubMed) These numbers will only continue to increase by taking away the rights of trans kids. People thinking that trans kids are too young to transition, well, studies actually show that gender identity develops pretty young – around the age of 3-5 years old. Now this doesn’t mean every trans person is going to realize they’re trans at that young of age. There are a lot of other factors that influence that including society, parental influence, media, etc. For me, I didn’t realize I was trans until I was 21 years old. Although, I can say that if I had information and resources on the trans community when I was younger, I would’ve figured things out a lot sooner. That is exactly why it’s important for us to spread awareness on the trans community and make sure trans kids have access to that information. But instead, the government is trying to take it away. They say it’s “protecting kids”when in reality, it’s killing them.
Another argument people bring up is the fact that people de-transition. They think kids shouldn’t be able to have access to gender affirming care because they may regret it later on since they’re “too young” to make that decision. Yes, there are people that de-transition. But if you compare it to the overall number of trans people in this world, the data is so beyond insignificant. Less than 1% of people regret their gender affirming treatment. You really want to ban gender affirming care based on a handful of people who decided it wasn’t for them? 12% of people regret getting a tattoo, so you want to ban tattoos too? 10% of people regret having children, so let’s ban childbirth too!! These numbers make no sense as to why gender affirming care is being banned. It’s all based on the fact that people like Ron Desantis and Michael Knowles want to get rid of trans people entirely. But guess what, if you take away our right to gender affirming care that doesn’t change the fact that we’re STILL trans!!! All that is doing is increasing the likelihood that they will consider suicide because they can’t live in the body that they identify with.
Let’s go back to the fact that we’re talking about trans kids here. KIDS. It’s disgusting to know that there are people who are completely okay with letting our youth suffer. The bills flooding the United States right now are not only affecting trans youth but they’re affecting trans adults now too. Senate Bill 254 outlaws gender transition surgeries and medication for minors as well as making it a first degree misdemeanor for health care workers to provide gender affirming care and surgeries. House Bill 1069 defines Florida’s education code that “sex” is either male or female and teachers must use a child or coworker’s name and pronouns at birth. House Bill 1521 bans trans people from using restrooms that match their identified gender. AR SB43 aims to ban public drag shows and keep minors from attending any drag performance. There are so many more, and this is only the beginning. These bills are threatening the lives of trans and queer people all over the country and it’s up to our community to fight it. If not for ourselves, but for our trans youth. They deserve to live a long and happy life so let them grow.
If you want updates on the bills near you, click this link for the 2023 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker!
