A Texan mom’s testimony for her transgender son
Photo credit: Hillary E.
Folks, it’s a real transphobic shit show here in Texas
There is a very dangerous reality that exists for some of the humans we call family, friends and neighbors.
A reality that involves your very humanity being questioned, your identity publicly scrutinized and your day-to-day life torn apart by people you’ve never met who blindly occupy epistemic bubbles that never intersect with your world.
I live in Texas, my steamy beloved state that is currently one of the hottest political battlegrounds in the nation for LGBTQ+, women’s healthcare and voter rights. As a 1) woman, 2) a voter engagement activist (and VDVR - let me register you to vote, Harris County friend!) and 3) the mother of a transgender son I am firmly in crisis mode.
Oh yes - and a questionable state-level pandemic response and worthless power grid that killed members of my community and flooded my house (twice) during the 2021 freeze. It’s great here. No, really.
No exaggeration, my state government is trying to dictate what happens to my body, bar minority voters and obliterate my child’s very existence one bill at a time. Actually, let me be more specific on those anti-LGBTQ+ bills in 2021 with help from Equality Texas:
All this against the VAST majority of Texas constituents’ expressed desires with the world watching in horror. And Fox News making money hand-over-fist, bless their hearts. Oh, to have the chutzpah of a self-righteous Texan conservative white politician seeking re-election funding and MAGA favor.
A testimony that should never have happened
I testified against one of these many anti-trans kids bills (HB25) in front of the Texas House Constitutional Rights & Remedies committee on October 6, 2021. This was a first for me, a nightmare - if we’re being honest - to bear my deepest heartache in front of a group of elected officials who have callously resurrected harmful bills that have bullied and belittled my child for 10 long months.
I’d like to share my testimony with you connected to the impact of this particular bill (banning transgender children from playing K-12 sports) here:
Greetings dedicated public servants,
My name is Kathleen Laird. I am from Houston and am the mother of two energetic and amazing kids—one of whom happens to be transgender.
I stand here 148 miles away from my family and career to oppose HB25 and I’d like to tell you why:
Raising children in a pandemic SUCKS. Big time. Raising a transgender teen in a pandemic is a whole other level of challenge. Throughout this experience, I’ve come to see that one of my most important jobs as a mom is to direct my children to find coping tools and positive outlets to deal with this hardship. And, in our family, sports — specifically karate and baseball — is one of these critical positive outlets.
It’s a pressure release valve. A SAFE SPACE to be who they are and to connect with others exactly as they are.
What this bill is trying to do is to strip away this safe space in a time that it is needed more than ever for ALL kids. This feels especially cruel. And, as my teenager would ask you right now, for what? As a family in the real world, this bill isn’t addressing any concerns or challenges we have EVER heard of or experienced on the actual playing field.
In a world of huge challenge and heartbreak, why manufacture grievances? Why find ways to ostracize children from each other and what is keeping their world together?
This has been a year of emergency in our home. More frequent and deeper bouts of depression and - I’m heartbroken to say - a year of increased self harm and suicidal ideation.
The conversations we have in these Capitol halls do not live in a vacuum. These bills and the way we are trying to separate our children from what moors them in a time of crisis presents a very real danger.
Our kids need all the positive outlets and supportive community they can get right now. And this bill just isn’t doing our Texas children justice.
Let’s focus on problems that actually do exist and solutions that help and do not harm. Please do not pass this legislation. Thank you for listening.
And then what happened?
After hours of testimony and hundreds of phone calls, emails and dropped cards - 84% of Texans who showed up OPPOSED HB25. And then… the committee ignored their constituents (again) and voted to move the bill ahead. Again.
The fight for LGBTQ+ rights doesn’t stop here of course, it’s a decades-long game we’re playing. But on a very personal level, I find this to be a particular moment in time worth noting. A testimony from a tearful desperate mom that never should have happened. God bless Texas and our babies.
Quick Summary:
The State of Texas is in a state of political turmoil on fundamental human rights issues
Transgender children have been targeted by 50 discriminatory bills in 2021 alone
Advocates for trans kids continue to be ready to kick some ass to keep our families and community safe
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