The Project

Sep 1, 2017….

Hey there! End of summer (so sad) and now to focus.

Focus on school (doh!), kid’s activities – and one wee thing that I love that doesn’t get enough attention – my blog. I have missed it tremendously.

One thing that I’ve been wanting to write about is a project BB and I were invited to participate in this past spring.

When BB first came out to us as trans, I was desperately looking for information and support. One of Hubby’s cousins got in touch with me via Facebook and suggested I contact friends of hers. They own a tattoo shop in our city and went through the transition of their oldest child, who was now in high school.

I emailed L in late August 2015 and what started was a sporadic, but heartfelt correspondence. L is the mother of A, the transgender teen who was born a girl and transitioned to a boy at around age 14. Although we had not yet met, L and I referred to each other as friends. It meant so much to me that I could call this little spitfire my friend… And I was so pleasantly surprised to find out she was doing the same!

During a phone conversation, L asked us to work on a project to help support the Metta Clinic in our city. The Clinic has been instrumental during this journey of growing a girl.

The Project included us being in a video and having it out on social media as a way to (hopefully) gain support for the clinic (crazy-long wait lists, not enough resources, etc., etc!)

It was a big decision as parents. Expose our child through social media and on L’s Skipping Stone Foundation website (an awesome organization formed to support trans youth – check out https://www.skippingstone.ca/) and open ourselves up to possible criticism and negativity…

Not that BB has ever been “in”. She has lived out as a transgender girl for over… two years! It is crazy to even type that. Wow. Two years.

We don’t advertise to people that she is transgender. So I was being asked to film a video on what it is like to have this wonderful little nugget in my life – and in the process, expose her to anyone and everyone… Would there be backlash? What would be the response? Could I handle it?

We decided that we were one of the lucky ones. We have had nothing but love and support from everyone in our lives since BB came out. And there are a lot of kids out there who don’t get the kind of advocacy they deserve. We had to do this.

Of course BB was on board from the minute we suggested this to her.

It was a fantastic day. I met J, the video producer and camera man, N. They were working on this project in their spare time, away from their families, and they were amazing. So passionate and professional.

It was a day of meeting other trans peeps. I was overwhelmed to hear their stories and proud to call this band of dedicated people my friends.

The video went well.

It was released to overwhelming positive response from everyone in my social media circle. A big relief, but not too surprising considering everyone in my circle is so frigging incredible.

And now, after all the support we have received, and seeing it is Pride 2017… and especially in light of all the crazy shenanigans going on in the world, I am making a decision for this blog.

I am calling BB by her real name in my posts.

From the beginning, it was a choice I made to keep her identity secure. There is a big difference between being outed by someone else and choosing to do it on your own. I feel for those being forced. I choose this. Family and friends have helped me be brave.

BB has helped me be brave. And as usual, BB is light years ahead of me.

Isabella. Iz. Izzy-B.

My daughter’s name is Izzy.