Lately we’ve all been made keenly aware of the plight faced by so many transgender people seeking nothing more than to be accepted for who they are. And much of the prejudice aimed at such folks is, of course, grounded in conservative/right-wing Christian theology. And that’s too bad. Because, as evidenced by the brief letter below, the only thing any person, Christian or otherwise, needs to enlighten them on the LGBT “issue” is love.
Dear John,
My 8 yr. old grandchild, who I am raising, is transgender. I had deeply embedded religious beliefs, and when faced with this situation I became totally confused.
But I chose not to make it about me. I began to question what I had been taught from my religious peers, and began to educate myself on transgender people. Instead of trying to change my grandchild (who had a girl’s body but whose brain told him he was a boy), I decided to combine my faith in God with education to lead me to the truth.The truth wasn’t hard to find anyway. It was there every time I looked into my grandson’s eyes. I live in a very small southern town, so I had to take him out of school and home-school him because he became very depressed. It took me awhile to find a therapist in this area who counseled transgender children.
I could have chosen to go the other way, and forced Aaron to wear girl clothes, and tell him that God didn’t approve of him if he chose to be a boy instead of a girl. Yes, I could have ruined him emotionally and spiritually! I thank God for leading me to the truth. I chose not to continue being a delusional “religious” Christian.
I am thankful that I chose a different path to take concerning Aaron’s journey, or he may have been another suicide statistic. This has truly humbled me and made me a better human being.
Hallelujah, Grandma!
"It’s not easy to tell a story that is filled with hilarious humor, the pangs of love lost, excruciatingly sad family life and deep, deep inner circumspection that ultimately uplifts your soul, but John has done just that. I highly recommend you read this book; you will thank me later." — Jon Mayes, Advance Reading Copy
"Deeply engrossing . . . a highly satisfying reading experience . . . Shore's writing is so stylistically on target that the language itself falls away, allowing the reader to enter into the subtleties of the story completely. . . . Shore’s protagonist is authentically funny and rawly sympathetic . . . This novel stands apart for its originality. It is a testament to the notion that the strongest works are often those with simple storylines, exceptionally told. 10 out of 10." — Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize 2019
"A powerfully compelling introspective look at life. . . This is a harrowing and fascinating novel." — Readers' Favorite
I wonder what prevented this grandmother from becoming destructive toward her grandson? Perhaps she was more secure in her faith than the fundamentalist’s? Perhaps she was less selfish? Perhaps she had more education? Perhaps she was more mentally healthy. I don’t know. But we need more people like her!
Thank you for sharing this story. I think everyone should educate about the transgender. Even though trans people are accepted, they are being avoided by the majority of people. I’m a trans man and I don’t feel ashamed to say it out. I even have undergone the female to male surgery from a clinic in my province. I didn’t have any support from the family. I was completely shattered. I wished someone could stand beside me to support me. I prayed to God for help. I must say Aaron is really lucky to have a grandmother like you.
As a trans person that sees the damage that families do to trans kids in the name of their religion , I just want to say thank you Grandma for loving your grandson and educating yourself by putting his needs first.
I’ll make sure she sees this, Bobbi. Thank you.