Don’t say Gay; Homophobia and Transphobia are still Alive and Flourishing

“The Texas Senate passed a bill Tuesday in an 18-12 vote that would classify providing gender-affirming health care to transgender minors as child abuse — just one of the Legislature’s many attempts to prevent transgender children from transitioning before their 18th birthday.”

• Texas Legislature 2021

 

A few days ago, Texas passed a law that declared minor gender care, or minor transitioning a form of child abuse. Texas is making it harder and harder for trans youth to not only transition but to just live everyday life. 

Science has shown that gender dysphoria has increased anxiety, depression, and mental discomfort rates in transgender individuals. Not only does not letting your child transition affect their mental health, but also their physical health too. Many trans individuals have reported feelings of hating their bodies, and even wanting to hurt themselves because of their discomfort. Saying that children are still not sure of their gender identity is just not the case. What if the same thing was said to cis-gendered people or people that identify as the sex they were assigned at birth? “Well, are you sure you’re a boy?”, “Are you sure you’re a girl?” Reflecting these comments back at cis-gendered individuals, really shows how absurd they are. 

Imagine waking up in the wrong body. Your body doesn’t feel like your own, you feel trapped in your body, like a prison. If you could take a magic potion to revert back into the body you were comfortable in, would you? That is what it feels like to be transgender. Except they don’t suddenly wake up in a different body, they were born in it. That magic potion doesn’t exist, but the closest thing is gender-affirming care, or transitioning into the body you are more comfortable with. 

Depriving transgender youth of this is the real form of child abuse. You are depriving children of something that in most cases is a necessity. Not only does transitioning and accepting your trans children help them mentally, but it also strengthens your bond with your children. If you prohibit your child from being in the body that makes them most comfortable, you’re most likely ruining your relationship with them. This law is meant to protect children, but not letting your children be themselves is exactly the opposite of that. 

“Telling parents that they will get prosecuted by the law for making their child comfortable is the opposite of okay.”

-Zoe MacDonald

“I think it’s very stupid because nobody is affected by what people do with their own bodies, and I think we should be able to do what we want with our bodies without being prosecuted. Cis-gender kids don’t have to worry about laws being placed against their humanity, so why should trans kids?”

-Halle Conell

“I think that it shouldn’t be illegal, I think it should be a parent’s choice. It depends, but how are you hurting your child by giving them something that gives them comfortable.”

-Madi Preuss

Not only are these transphobic laws being passed in Texas, but homophobic laws are also being passed in Florida.

In Florida, a law was passed that prohibited sexual orientation, and gender identity in classrooms. These same people preach about freedom of speech, and not being silenced. But apparently, it doesn’t count when the queer community is being silenced. They are depriving children of queer representation and education. The world these kinds of people are trying to build is one where children, kids that are still in school, are not allowed to learn about anything that is deemed “not safe” for children. The world they are trying to build is one where children have to go out of their way to learn basic facts about sexual education. Being gay is not unsafe for children. Being trans is not unsafe for children, just how being straight isn’t. But do you know what it is? Depriving queer children of basic human rights because children are seen as lesser than, or that they don’t know their own identity. We have to trust kids, and the first step is to educate them. Kids know who they are, just as much as you do, and more. When you strip these laws back to their bare bones, you can really see these kinds of people, and this kind of thinking is rooted in years of transphobia and homophobia. Depriving anyone, let alone kids, of something that would make them feel more comfortable in their body, or depriving them of education of other sexualities and gender identities is honestly so disgusting. They are growing up hating themselves and others around them. It’s so sad to see that homophobia and transphobia are still alive and flourishing.