My favorite moments of the week are when I’m driving my kid’s carpool to high school. Along the way, I hear my son and his friends chattering about mundane high school experiences, both happy and frustrated, and I am so grateful to be a mom.Â
Unfortunately, an upcoming Supreme Court case could upend the lives of every single kid in my carpool , just because they’re happiest living outside of the role of the gender they were assigned at birth. Just because they’re transgender.
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm~?46 282:?[ E96 4@FCE :D ECJ:?8 E@ AFE :ED6=7 36EH66? A2E:6?ED 2?5 5@4E@CD] qFE E9:D E:>6[ E96J’C6 8@:?8 27E6C @FC <:5D[ 2?5 2== pC:K@?2 A2C6?ED D9@F=5 36 4@?46C?65] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpE E96 962CE @7 E96 42D6 E92E E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE H:== C6G:6H E9:D >@?E9 :D %6??6DD66’D 32? @? >65:42==J ?646DD2CJ 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6 7@C EC2?D86?56C J@FE9] xE’D 62DJ 7@C >6 E@ D66 >JD6=7 :? A=2:?E:77D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]24=F]@C8^42D6D^=\H\G\D<C>6EE:QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm$2>2?E92 2?5 qC:2? (:==:2>Dk^DA2?mk^2m 2?5 E96:C `e\J62C\@=5 EC2?D86?56C 52F89E6C[ H9@ ;FDE H2?E E@ AC6D6CG6 E96 92AAJ =:76 E96J’G6 3F:=E E92?<D E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]4@=F>3:2ADJ49:2ECJ]@C8^?6HD^86?56C\277:C>:?8\42C6\D2G6D\=:G6DRiOiE6IEl#6D62C49Ta_56>@?DEC2E6DTa_E92ETa_86?56CTas277:C>:?8[2?5Ta_?@?3:?2CJTa_49:=5C6?Ta_2?5Ta_25@=6D46?ED]QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm=:76\D2G:?8 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6k^DA2?mk^2m] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp?5 :7 H6 5@?’E DE@A E96 4@FCE 7C@> D:5:?8 H:E9 %6??6DD66[ E96 (:==:2>D 72>:=J H:== 36 E9C@H? 324< :?E@ 92C>’D H2J[ 2=@?8D:56 >J D@?[ 9:D 7C:6?5D 2?5 J@FE9 24C@DD p>6C:42] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`QmpC:K@?2 :D 2 E@F89 A=246 7@C EC2?D <:5D =:<6 >J D@?[ s2?:6=] }@E @?=J 5@6D 96 92G6 E@ 562= H:E9 2== E96 ?@C>2= DEC6DD@CD @7 36:?8 `f[ 3FE A@=:E:4:2?D :? @FC DE2E6 92G6 2=D@ EC:65 E@ C6BF:C6 D49@@=D E@ EC62E 9:> 5:776C6?E=J E92? 2== 9:D A66CD 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2K>:CC@C]4@>^a_ab^_b^ag^2?E:\EC2?D\D49@@=\32E9C@@>\3:==\25G2?46D\H:E9\8@A\324<:?8^QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm7@C4:?8 9:> E@ FD6 E96 8:C=’D C6DEC@@>k^DA2?mk^2m @C C6BF:C:?8 E62496CD E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2K>:CC@C]4@>^a_aa^_`^ae^8@A\3:==\H@F=5\7@C46\E62496CD\E@\@FE\=83EB\DEF56?ED\E@\A2C6?ED^QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm@FE 9:> 2D EC2?D 282:?DE 9:D H:==k^DA2?mk^2m] pD 2 >@>[ :E’D 2 9@CC:3=6 766=:?8 E@ 92G6 D@ >2?J A6@A=6 D@ =@F5=J 92E6 <:5D =:<6 >J D@?] p?5 :E AFED @FC 72>:=J :? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]D4:6?E:7:42>6C:42?]4@>^2CE:4=6^9@H\2?E:\=83EB\C96E@C:4\7F6=D\G:@=6?46^QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm52?86Ck^DA2?mk^2m]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp== A2C6?ED D9@F=5 36 @776?565 H96? @FC =6256CD AFE @FC 49:=5C6?’D 6I:DE6?46 FA 7@C 5632E6] %96J 56D6CG6 E@ =62C? 2?5 E9C:G6[ 2?5[ J6D[ 8C@H 2?5 492?86[ 6I24E=J =:<6 @E96C 9:89 D49@@=6CD] qFE F?=:<6 @E96C 9:89 D49@@=6CD[ >J 49:=5’D 3F==:6D 92G6 A@5:F>D 2?5 82G6=D] p?5 ?@H E96 56>2?5 E@ DEC:A >J D@? @7 9:D 962=E942C6 � ;FDE 3642FD6 D@>6 A6@A=6 5@?’E 36=:6G6 9:D :56?E:EJ 6I:DED[ :D 8@:?8 2== E96 H2J FA E@ E96 &]$] $FAC6>6 r@FCE]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm!2C6?ED @7 EC2?D <:5D 2C6 D@>6E:>6D D66? 2D A6C>:DD:G6 A2C6?ED H:E9 ?@ 324<3@?6] ~E96C E:>6D[ A6@A=6 E9:?< H6’C6 52?86C@FD=J :56@=@8:42=[ :?5@4EC:?2E:?8 @FC 49:=5C6? :?E@ 36=:6G:?8 E92E E96J 2C6?’E H9@ E96J 2C6] %96 C62= ECFE9 :D E9:Di (6 42?’E 492?86 H9@ @FC D@? :D 2?5 H6 D:>A=J H@?’E =6E 2?J@?6 6=D6 ECJ] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms2?:6= 2?5 EC2?D <:5D =:<6 9:> 92G6 D9@H? FD H92E :E >62?D E@ 6I:DE 7C66=J :? 2 H@C=5 E92E =:>:ED FD] (6 =6E 9:> =625 2D >F49 2D A@DD:3=6[ 2?5 3C@F89E :? 6IA6CED H96C6 H6 4@F=5?’E 255C6DD 9:D ?665D 2=@?6] p?5 E9C@F89 J62CD @7 5:D4FDD:@? H:E9 s2?:6=’D E96C2A:DE 2?5 A65:2EC:4:2?[ H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ 49@@D6 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96C6’D ?@E9:?8 7=:AA2?E 23@FE 9@H x >2<6 49@:46D 23@FE >J D@?’D 962=E9 2?5 H6==\36:?8] s2?:6=’D BF2=:EJ @7 =:76 92D 6?92?465 D:8?:7:42?E=J 3642FD6 96’D 366? 23=6 E@ 2446DD E96 AC@76DD:@?2= 42C6 96 ?66565] p?5 E96 724E E92E C68C6E C2E6D 7@C 86?56C 277:C>:?8 42C6 2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]6C:?:?E96>@C?:?8]4@>^A^=2?5>2C<\DJDE6>2E:4\C6G:6H\@7\EC2?DQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQm72C =@H6C E92? 7@C @E96C >2;@C DFC86C:6D 2?5 =:76 6G6?EDk^DA2?mk^2m AC@G6D E92E >J 72>:=J :D ?@E E96 @?=J =:G:?8 AC@@7 E92E E9:D 42C67F=[ BF2=:EJ 42C6 H@C<D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmp4E:G:D> :D 2 4@A:?8 >6492?:D> 7@C >6] x7 x 5:5?’E DA62< FA[ x�5 92G6 E@ D:E 324< 2?5 =6E 2H7F= 2?5 >@F?E:?8 CF=:?8D 2?5 @C =682= 564:D:@?D 562= FD 3=@H 27E6C 3=@H] x7 H6 5@?’E AC@E64E @FC 49:=5C6?[ H6 C:D< =@D:?8 E96>] p ?6H DEF5J 6G6? 7@F?5 E92E[ :? 6G6CJ DE2E6 E92E 92D A2DD65 2? 2?E:\EC2?D =2H[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?AC]@C8^D64E:@?D^D9@ED\962=E9\?6HD^a_ac^_h^ad^?I\D`\d`afbcf^>@C6\EC2?D\E66?D\2EE6>AE65\DF:4:56\27E6C\DE2E6D\A2DD65\2?E:\EC2?D\=2HD\2\DEF5J\D9@HDQmkDA2? 4=2DDlQDaQmE66? DF:4:56 C2E6D 92G6 DA:<65k^DA2?mk^2m] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qm%96 #6AF3=:42? A@=:E:4:2?D E2C86E:?8 @FC 49:=5C6? <?@H E9:D[ 2?5 E96J 5@?’E 42C6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qmx? p>6C:42[ H6 =@G6 E@ E2=< 23@FE 7C665@>] qFE E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE <66AD AFD9:?8 7C665@> 7FCE96C 2?5 7FCE96C 7C@> @FC 2C>D� C6249] x? E96 EH@ J62CD D:?46 #@6 G] (256 76==[ x’G6 A6CD@?2==J =62C?65 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 H92E ?@E 92G:?8 3@5:=J 2FE@?@>J 766=D =:<6[ 2?5 :E’D 56G2DE2E:?8] x�> DFC6 @E96C A2C6?ED H:== 28C66] k^DA2?mk^Am
kA 4=2DDlQA`QmkDA2? 4=2DDlQD`Qms64:D:@?D =:<6 D66<:?8 86?56C\277:C>:?8 42C6 2?5 23@CE:@? 2C6 962=E9 42C6 564:D:@?D E92E D9@F=5 36 >256 AC:G2E6=J 36EH66? 72>:=:6D 2?5 E96:C >65:42= E62>D] x AC2J E92E @E96C A2C6?ED F?56CDE2?5 H92E H6 2C6 7:89E:?8 7@C] %96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE >FDE DE2J @FE @7 @FC A6CD@?2= 962=E9 42C6 564:D:@?D � E96 =:76 @7 >J D@?[ 2?5 E96 =:G6D @7 9:D 7C:6?5D[ 56A6?5 @? :E]k^DA2?mk^Am
