19 Comments
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Lin Musto's avatar

You are such a good person, John—besides being a good writer…

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Terry Mach's avatar

As the aunt of a trans niece, this is deeply touching. Thank you.

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Elisabeth's avatar

So happy you wrote this—the majority of us think like you.

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Liz's avatar

Thanks, John, for validating my son❤️🏳️‍⚧️ we are thankfully Canadian but stand by all the LGBTQ+ community, wherever you live.

This could be us, if we don’t take heed. No government is immune from stupidity!

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Patricia Lane's avatar

Thank you for sharing your love and acceptance of these individuals who have been attacked mercilessly for being who they are .

They didn’t ask for this , nor do they in any way deserve to be the victims of other’s hateful ignorance.

The vast majority of real caring human beings accept and support you , whether or not they understand . Because they care . And they care because they are human beings capable of love .

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William Goldsmith's avatar

Lovely piece, John. I have several trans friends. The idea that there is something fundamentally wrong with them, that they shouldn’t be allowed to be exactly who they are, makes me angrier than anything else so far in this crazy-ass year.

It’s freakin absurd. And pointless. And tragic. Deeply tragic. People will die. There’s widespread confusion & suffering already, and it’s bound to get worse.

And why? Because a few vain, power-mad men were offered a chance to inflict deep pain on others in return for some flavor of macho notoriety — and they took it.

Assholes.

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Lisa's avatar

I do not have any desire to live in an all white world of assholes. It will be bleak, boring, and suffocating. Speaking as a white, middle aged straight woman who happens to enjoy open-minded, educated conversations with fellow travelers of all creeds, colors, and cultures. We cannot devolve into the bland abyss of white bread.

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Jules W.'s avatar

Thank you for stating openly what some other people think but are afraid to say.

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Kim Hamblin's avatar

It’s so hard for a lot of people to understand that sex isn’t binary. On top of that, they’re banning puberty blockers, which are given up to 19, at which time surgery is an option, but not always chosen. Changes brought about by puberty blockers can be reversed by stopping the hormones. I had a patient whose son changed his name to a female name, grew his hair out, took the hormones, and then decided he wasn’t transgender and reversed the whole process. Here in Alabama, a father and his transgender child made a compelling plea to the legislature not to ban treatment. They have a propensity to legislate on things they know nothing about. I feel both angry and sad about the way these teens are being denied life changing care. Being transgender isn’t contagious, nor is being gay. My gay brother-in-law told me he knew when he was 12. It’s in the brain physiologically, not just psychologically.

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Jeanne Woods's avatar

I am also the aunt of a trans niece so thank you for this. I pray she is happy and safe.

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Debbie Middlebrooks's avatar

Beautifully said. Thank you.

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Deborah Plummer's avatar

Ditto to everything you beautifully wrote. Thank you.

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Bonnie Sommer's avatar

Thank you for this, John. One of my husband’s former students, now Dr. R. G, works with trans youth in danger of taking their lives. He is Gay, not Trans, but has done great work with these young people, counseling them to be their true selves. I am so proud of him and I know Joe would be, too. Your post is exactly the kind of thing Dr. R. G. puts into practice.

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Matthew Ward's avatar

Thank you for your words of support. I know several trans men and women, including my nephew.

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Clyde's avatar

Thank you for being supportive in love empathy & most importantly understanding 🙏 A beautiful mess indeed! 😊

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Lisa's avatar

Yes, there are truly and truly millions of pro-humanity out here! We just don't gobble up the airwaves with vile podcasts or apply to be a fox propaganda host of vomit. We quietly and happily have dinner, exchange memes, hug and support our true friends and family. We create safe spaces for each other, and that is a truly amazing blessing to behold.

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Margaret Wisniewski's avatar

Thank you for offering precious encouragement to our friends who are in pain. It is the most Christ-like thing we can do for our neighbors. I wish all the “Christian’s” out there followed Christ’s example.

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