Simon, Age 18, Iowa
SIMON: These laws make me feel really helpless because I’m an adult and I feel like it’s part of my duty to keep my younger trans siblings safe, but I feel like there’s nothing I can do. It’s really hard, cause a lot of my close friends are trans and some of them are really young. Honestly, the most I can do for the younger people I know is to try and be their older brother, or uncle, and listen to them when they get scared about these things. Cause they are really scared.
Finding myself has felt really good, because I never felt cis. When I realized what transgender was, I was like, “OK, that’s me.” And then I was like, “But that can’t be me, because” – I didn’t know any trans adults, so I just thought you couldn’t be a trans adult. I thought it wasn’t an option, that I’d have to be cis forever, or I just wouldn’t make it. Now I’m a trans adult and I’m going to college. I want to show the younger kids that you can be trans and make it, that it’s gonna be OK.
MOM: This fear-based legislation is attacking human beings, its taking away people’s rights, it’s creating legislation based on people’s bodies. And that’s just – for lack of a better word, that’s just disgusting. I can’t believe this is something that we have to be worried about. Simon’s entire transition has just been eye-opening to our entire family, and we’re happy that he can be who he is. You know, as parents, you’re always concerned about your kids, but then there’s this added layer of fear, of who out there doesn’t accept him or who possibly wants to hurt him because of who he is. It’s scary.
SIMON: I feel I’m making myself smaller, out of the fear of those people who want me to disappear. For the most part, I’m stealth. I wish I could be a lot louder about it but, because of all this stuff, I don’t feel safe being louder about it sometimes. If someone sees my story, if a little trans kid sees this story and sees there’s a trans adult still surviving, even though all these laws are being passed, I’ll feel like I made a difference.
This is my step-mom. My birth mom, when I came out to her she basically said, “OK, you’re not coming home.” And, I’m very lucky that I had another family that was willing to take me in and accept me, and let me be who I was. I don’t like to think about what would happen if I didn’t have this family. I don’t know where I would have gone.
MOM: A parent’s job is to support your kids. It doesn’t matter what they need support in. You just have to stand up and be there for them and educate yourself so you can be their number one cheerleader, their number one advocate. And continue to protect them, and allow them to spread their wings. You know, Simon’s had a rough time. He knows we always have his back, and that’s how it should be. I know a lot of people in the community don’t have their parents, don’t have their family that they were born into. And for them, I feel terrible. But I hope that they have found their own family. You know? Also, I’m available, if anybody needs a Mom.