The Emerald Newsletter | Kappa Delta Chi Sorority The Emerald Fall 2019 | Page 40

I stand by YOU
When my son was eight years old, a friend of his During this time, I connected with a doctor by
referred to him using male pronouns (our son the name of Dr. Andrew Cronyn (who would
was assigned female at birth) to which I just soon become my son’s pediatrician). In the last
shrugged not really knowing how to respond. decade, he has become an expert in pediatric
Later that day I asked my child if this was how transgender medicine, has worked tirelessly to
they saw themselves, and he responded “I know provide care to children, and has increased their
my body is wrong, but in my insides and my quality of life through his care. We have done
mind I am a boy.” After years of my spouse and I panels, trainings, and volunteer work together.
questioning and speaking privately about the Through our individual and joint volunteer work,
gender variances we were seeing we finally had we
our answer. Our child was transgender. community leaders who were having hard
had
the
opportunity
to
meet
other
discussions and through these discussions we
For eight months, we navigated school and our felt encouraged to do the internal work of
private life only sharing with a few people we questioning bias, which has led to continued
trusted, and were terrified of what laid ahead of growth that we are both so grateful for.
us. I felt incredibly alone. Eventually I found a
local parent support group for parents of
transgender/gender
expansive
youth
called
SAGA: Families Transformed and I began to gain
the knowledge and support I so desperately
needed. Five years later, I am the parent
moderator of SAGA: Families Transformed, a
member of the Human Rights Campaign:
Parents for Transgender Equality Council, as
well as a local community organizer. I speak to
schools, and offer ongoing support to parents
who are looking to gain the tools needed to
support their incredible children in a world that
Our sister, Lizette Trujillo, and her son appeared on CNN’s LGBTQ town hall to help
contribute to the discussion with nine of the Democratic presidential candidates.
often is not safe for them.
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