Parenting – Gender Creative Life

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve answered the same, tired questions, over and over again, from misinformed people who have no experience with trans people. I mean, I don’t at all mind answering questions that come from a place of good intentions. That’s not always the case, though. Especially online, where there lives an entire community of boring, predictable evil-doers known collectively as “trolls.” They’re easy to spot. They’re the ones who use obvious trigger words and phrases to try and hook their ~~victims~~ readers, and then engage them in never-ending circular arguments that generally spiral into slanderous insults. Trolls deliberately intend to hijack, disrupt, attack, offend, and just generally cause trouble, and their favorite haunt is the comments sections of social media and news sites. Continue reading →

Below is one of my favorite videos of Charlie, because it really shows the gratitude he shows towards pretty much everything in life – whether it’s a new high-tech gadget, or a beautiful evening sunset.

Socially, 4th grade was a hard year for him. His very best friend had relocated over the summer and moved to another school. So Charlie was going into 4th grade without his best bud. Shortly into the 4th grade year, his only three other friends all moved before Thanksgiving break. It was very difficult to lose the four friends he had bonded so well with. Then, Charlie had a hard time connecting with other kids, most of whom had been together since kindergarten in the same school, while Charlie had traveled around, attending the schools where I worked. Not an ideal situation, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Continue reading →