Leelah Alcorn- You might recognize this name. If you do, it probably fills you with sadness to hear it, like it does me. If not, you will want to read the following post. Google her name. You won’t lack for reading material. So much has been written about the tragic death of Leelah, who killed herself. I had to stop reading everything that was filling my newsfeed. It made me want to grab Kris, hold onto him so tightly that I didn’t have to worry about losing him. Being the parent of a transgender child, this story touches me deeply. It’s a constant worry.
I’m sharing a post written by friend, Michelle at Because I’m Fabulous. Having a transgender child is just like having any other child. There are no cookie cutter children. We don’t order a sugar cookie and that’s what we get. That sugar cookie might have raisins hidden inside, it might come with red frosting, it might not have any sugar at all! Her post “It’s not about you” is written from a mother’s heart and I think it translates easily into terms we can all relate to. It is about Leelah, but it’s also about being a parent and a very basic fundamental rule that parents sometimes forget, don’t realize or ignore. When you are a parent, it’s not about you.
In Facebook and blog posts I have been noticing more parents of transgender children reaching out to other transgender people and their families, offering support, an ear, whatever—- and I would like to do the same. You are not alone. Please, feel free to contact me- either here at this blog or through my Facebook Page- Dandelion Fuzz.
Dandelion Fuzz 