How I Support My Child in the Face of Utah ’s Ban on Gender-Affirming Health Care

E, my 9-year-old child, who I lovingly call Bug, is at the kitchen counter slurping spoonfuls of cereal and milk into his mouth on the cold, snowy morning of Jan. 29, 2023. I hand him a napkin from the other side of the counter to wipe the milk from his chin, take a sip of my coffee, and pick up my phone to scroll for a moment. He asks me what I’m looking at. I hover my finger over a pink, blue, and white flag in a small square and a caption below informing me that Utah has just passed the first law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth. I debate being honest with him, but before I can respond, he asks again, this time a bit annoyed, “Mom! What are you looking at?” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “Um,” I utter to buy just a moment. Like most parents I know, I am careful when sharing the news with my young child. Almost every day, I have to digest the headlines, then share them in a way that my kids can understand so that they don’t come across them on their own or through friends at school. However, what I am currently reading feels especially tricky to share with E. The news of the recent legislation here in Utah, where we live, targeting trans youth could send the message that he doesn’t belong or that there is something wrong with him. This is a message I’ve been actively keeping out of our home. Almost three years ago, he shared that “sometimes I feel like a girl, but sometimes I also fe...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized freelance LGBTQ Source Type: news