Dear John,

As the editor of our blog, over the last few months I’ve had the honor of working with a colleague on a piece she sat down to write amid the rising hatred and attacks on the trans community. It’s a letter to her trans daughter—and a testament to the strength of a parent’s love for her child.

I know there’s a lot of hard news out there right now, especially related to trans equality. That’s why this piece is so special: it shows how love can shape your understanding, your beliefs, and your parenting. And the author is adamant that fear and misinformation fuels anti-trans bigotry—and just as adamant that humanity can overcome those fears.

My colleague was gracious enough to share this story with us, and I hope you’ll give it a few minutes of your time. You can start reading the piece below, or read the full piece at our blog.

Letter to My Trans Daughter

Parenting involves confronting fear on many levels. A piece of your heart is out in the world, and you have little to no control over what the world will do.

When I was just a few years into my parenting journey, I realized my child was on a path I had never traveled and knew next to nothing about. I hope that by sharing the story of what I learned on this journey by her side (and usually several steps behind), I will help others. And so, I’m starting with this public letter to my daughter.

The morning after the election, I went in to wake you for school and told you that Donald Trump had won a second term. You lay back down and curled into a ball. With tears running down your cheeks you asked me questions about what would happen next. The next night, you woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. In it, Donald Trump had taken away your gender-affirming care; military officers dressed in brown stormed into our house, clearing our counter of estrogen and with a jagged knife, roughly yanked out your puberty blocker. You dreamed that in fighting these actions in court, our family lost our home and had to move to a dilapidated house where the roof was falling in. This administration is, quite literally, your worst nightmare.

In solidarity,

Hannah Finnie
she/her/hers
Senior Writer/Editor
National Women's Law Center