NOTE: This post was written by Danielle, the mother of a trans young person in Round Rock, Texas.
Warmest greetings to all of our allies in the Campaign for Southern Equality community! My name is Danielle and I’m a 35-year-old, disabled, mother of two teenage boys.
When extreme lawmakers in Texas forced through a law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender young people like my son Peter, I didn’t know where to turn.
I knew exactly what kind of care my son needed to thrive – and so did his doctors in Texas. But lawmakers in our state made it impossible for parents like me to care for our children.
I was scared and furious – but above all, I was determined. No lawmaker was going to stop me from getting my son the affirming care he needed.
Then we heard about the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project – a fund created by Campaign for Southern Equality to support families like ours with rapid response grants to ensure our transgender children are able to access the critical care they need.
Thanks in part to an emergency grant from CSE, Peter and I traveled this fall to Mexico where we made an appointment with a doctor who specialized in medically necessary care for transgender youth. After months of worries, Peter finally had the medical care he needed.
In 2023, the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project has made it possible for 650+ families like ours across the South to access gender-affirming care. And if you pitch in before midnight on December 31, your donation will be matched – helping to ensure transgender youth and their families have the support they need in 2024.
After we met with the doctor in Mexico, I cried. It was the first time since Texas’ medical ban passed where Peter and I both felt like we could breathe. The relief was unparalleled.
That’s the impact of Campaign for Southern Equality’s work – which is fueled by supporters like you giving what you can to fight back against anti-LGBTQ policies and support families across the South.
More than 90% of youth in the South now live in a state that has restricted affirming care. For so many of these families, the support of Campaign for Southern Equality is a lifeline – like it was for mine.
In our darkest moments, our family was lifted up by the generosity of CSE’s supporters in the South and across the country.
Your support has made a world of difference for my family. Please continue to help families like ours get through this incredibly difficult time.
