Good News

Amidst the usual bad news surrounding the transgender world, comes a bright story:

A trans teen will be under the care of his supportive maternal grandparents after an Ohio judge denied custody to the child's transphobic parents, the Associated Press reports.

The 17-year-old was suffering from depression and anxiety, and was deemed a suicide risk, possibly because his father refused to accept his gender identity nor allow his transition. A juvenile court judge in Cincinnati ruled on Friday that the child should be under the care of his maternal grandparents, who support his transition and are prepared to allow him access to hormone therapy. The judge did rule that the youth must see a psychologist before he can begin hormone treatments."

Hopefully, more successful cases such as this will follow!

Still Fighting

Perhaps you remember the post here in Cyrsti's Condo concerning the transgender boy here in the Cincinnati area who was removed from his parents home. Staying would have resulted in suicide.

The father, kept telling him to go ahead and commit suicide while the mother pushed long and hard for 'Christian Conversion Therapy'. The trans kid was/or would be subjected to being read bible verses six hours a day.

What is happening now is in the court's hands. His grandparents have stepped up and volunteered to take charge and help the trans boy. In other words, to basically save his life.

If you recall too, the idea of teen transgender suicide is all too real here in the Cincinnati area. A couple years ago, Leelah Alcorn (right) committed suicide by stepping in front of a semi truck near her home on an interstate highway.

Thanks to intervention this time, hopefully such a tragedy won't happen again!

Not Again!

Leelah Alcorn

An Ohio judge will decide whether a transgender boy whose parents, according to court documents, want "Christian-based" therapy for him can receive treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The 16-year-old wants to transition in gender, but court documents say his parents have denied he is transgender, have refused services from Children's Hospital and at one point refused to allow him to change his "appearance to a male look."

The teen has reported that he was once forced to sit in a room and listen to Bible scriptures for more than six hours at a time, the documents say, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

All of this comes on the heels of Greater Cincinnati trans teenager "Leelal Alcorn's" suicide a couple years ago under similar circumstances.

How sad! Even tragic if you are willing to sacrifice your transgender child for some mis-guided principal.  

LGBT News

Two articles of interest:

"The Boy Scouts of America has changed its policy to admit transgender youth who identify as male, marking the latest change in LGBT inclusion for the nearly 106-year-old institution.

Effie Delimarkos, director of communications for the Boy Scouts of America, confirmed the change to the Washington Blade in a statement amid widespread media reports of the new policy.“Starting today, we will accept and register youth in the Cub and Boy Scout programs based on the gender identity indicated on the application,” Delimarkos said. “Our organization’s local councils will help find units that can provide for the best interest of the child.”      

 My Son in Law and Grandsons are very active in scouting and to my knowledge even wear some sort of an Equality Merit Badge. So, I wonder if the national organization will not "force" a local program to accept a transgender boy? Just (as they said) find an accepting unit.  

And:

"White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Monday declined to discuss an anti-LGBT executive order from President Trump amid reports such a directive is in the works.

In response to a question from the Washington Blade, Spicer said he wouldn’t get ahead of Trump on any potential executive order he may sign.

“I’m not getting ahead of the executive orders that we may or may not issue,” Spicer said. “There’s a lot of executive orders, a lot of things the president has talked about and will continue to fulfill, but we have nothing on that front now.”

The potential executive order gained attention Monday after the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement acknowledging rumors it about and expressing concerns about executive actions that would rollback LGBT rights."

Both of these stories came from the Washington Blade...for more on "45" (Trump) go here.

No real surprise, right?

                                                   

The Good News or the Bad News

When someone asks me that I say "Give me the bad first, the good will feel better!" 

Sort of like yesterday, I received my new checks to use, but now I have to use them.

Then today as I showed up for my blood letting (Phlebotomy), as I was checking in, the only two guys in the waiting room asked was it "a boy or girl." I tensed up and whirled around ready to go to war with them until it turned out they were talking about a story on CBS This Morning called "Raising Ryland. About an eight year old transgender boy.

Ryland and Mom

The good news happened to be both of them seemingly did not have a negative attitude about it. They were just amazed he used be "a girl" at all (their words.)

Invisible Again

I have written about being invisible on a number of occasions here in Cyrsti's Condo but this one hits close to home.
Recently I was invited by a transgender girl friend to go to an equality event in my town.  The event was significant primarily because I didn't even think such an activity could happen in my medium sized town. It's  not necessarily known as the most liberal place in the world.

At any rate, the presentation revolved around a film which used Bible interpretations and major real and imagined theologians.  I use the word "imagined" for the right wing bigots who hate the LGBT community. During the movie I counted the times the transgender word was used and came up with a maximum of five times in two hours. Wasn't surprised. Been part of the silent "T" in and out of my own closet. The icing on the cake though was no mention of the transgender word before or after the event by the presenters.

By this time, I was relatively steamed by all of the missing "T" but I knew being upset meant nothing if I didn't do a thing.  So afterward I took up the offer to sign up for the mailing list and asked if I was welcome at all.  Of course then I got the blank "well sure but then again what does that mean look" from the gay and lesbian organizers. Hey, I'm used to that and formulated a plan.

I'm heading to the next meeting which I assume will not include the "it's cool to be around gay folks" peeps who were there last night.  I plan on discussing the silent "T" and how ironic it is that there aren't any transgender people in my town of 75,000-according to them.  The highlight of the evening was when a woman stood up and said she would love it if her daughter was a lesbian. I thought, "how about a trans man?"

My true goal though are the youth who this group wants to help.  Pity the poor transgender boy or girl who is exposed to this group and is invisible. At the least, I should be able to light a fire under the gay and lesbian leaders of the group and maybe help a lonely kid. I overheard the gay leader tell my friend that he had once met a transgender person in Columbus. Wow!

Bottom line:  None of them  have to know me as much as they have to know about me.  I'm not invisible and I do live here.