Jennifer’s daughter first identified as transgender when she was 10 years old. At the time, her parents didn’t think much of it beyond harmless identity exploration. But the public school that her daughter attended in a suburb of Washington state quickly worked to affirm her male identity against Jennifer and her husband’s objections, even asking their daughter to room in the boy’s cabin on a three night field trip. 

Jennifer suspected that her daughter’s transgender identity wasn’t genuine and a year and a half later, she let go of it. But with educators, politicians, health professionals and the media all pressuring parents to affirm, Jennifer is warning that there is another possible outcome if a child is not affirmed. An outcome that doesn’t subject children to a lifetime of harmful medical procedures.