NH: Trans youth feel unheard as Republicans debate parental rights in State House
Three years ago, when Flynn Ortiz came out as transgender, they followed a deliberate strategy. First, they told a friend.
“I was like, ‘Do you mind calling me these pronouns? This name?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah, sure,’” Ortiz, now a high school senior, recalled Tuesday.
After waiting to get used to the change, Ortiz moved on to their teachers – the ones they trusted.
Only much later did they sit down to tell their father. That experience was much more nerve-wracking. Ortiz had had a strategy: They asked their father to respect them, even if he didn’t agree with the decision. And they asked him to ask questions.
“Being afraid to ask questions leads to ignorance, and that leads to harm to many people,” they said.
The approach was carefully planned, guided by conversations Ortiz had with other trans teenagers online. But if the New Hampshire Legislature and governor approve a parental rights bill this year, Ortiz argues that gradual approach will be all but impossible.
https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trans-youth-feel-unheard-republicans-debate-parental-rights-state-house
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