Trans Parenting

I was invited to participate in a trans* woman parenting focus group this morning. It was a collection of women who had children either before, or after transition. I was really moved to hear everyone's story. We found ourselves nodding our heads a lot.

We unanimously agreed that Mother's and Father's days are tough times. Last year for Father's day, my daughter made a pencil holder for me. The preschool had given them all sorts of sports themed stickers to put on it. She was so happy to present it to me. She loves me with all her heart. She hadn't chosen sports and masculine themed stickers for me, the preschool made that decision for her. Schools everywhere are making gender biased choices for children, effectively indoctrinating children about the gender binary. Girls wear pink, boys wear blue. Daddy likes sports, and Mommy likes flowers. There really is no middle ground.

The focus group's aim is to compile information about our experiences and provide it to schools so they can update their brains and make better choices on how to address trans* in the classroom and how to properly support children and parents in trans* diverse families. I'm really glad I got to participate.

I'm going to write a letter to my daughter's school. It will be too late to make a difference for this year's Father's day, but they need to realize that parents do not care, at all, which stickers are on their pencil holder. The thing isn't going to match *any* decor in your office or home. We love it unconditionally because it comes from our children, whose love for us is unconditional as well. So put sports stickers on Mommy's ash tray, she won't mind. It's done with love!

I'm not comfortable posting a picture of my daughter on a sex blog, so I'll post a picture I found online. I'd very, very much like to have this picture modified to be an old pulp sci fi style ray gun. I love the hilt and I love the stars, just the middle needs to update. Why is this relevant to my daughter? Because she is my laser ray (a play on her name) and I am going to tattoo the end result on my right shoulder blade, in her honour. It would be all the more special if I were tattooing something drawn by lovely you.