>>> IT’S ONLY MARCH BUT 2021 HAS
BROUGHT PLENTY OF CHALLENGES
ALREADY FOR TRANSGENDER
AMERICANS.
ACCORDING TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS
CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR STATE
LEGISLATURES HAVE INTRODUCED
MORE THAN 80 BILLS THAT WOULD
HARM TRANS PEOPLE.
MEANWHILE ON WEDNESDAY THE U.S.
SENATE BEGAN DEBATING THE
EQUALITY ACT.
IT WOULD PROVIDE SWEEPING
PROTECTIONS FOR LGBTQIA PEOPLE
AND BAN DISCRIMINATION BASED ON
SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER
IDENTITY.
IT PASSED THE HOUSE LAST MONTH.
AS THE SENATE STARTED THIS
DEBATE THERE WAS ONLY ONE
TRANSGENDER PERSON REPRESENTED
IN ROOM.
16-YEAR-OLD STELLA KEATING IS A
HIGH SCHOOL SOPHOMORE.
SHE TESTIFIED BEFORE THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FROM HER
HOME IN WASHINGTON.
AND HER REQUEST WAS SIMPLE.
TREAT TRANSGENDER TEENAGERS LIKE
EVERY OTHER TEENAGER.
STELLA IS A FOUNDING CHAMPION OF
THE GENDER COOL PROJECT AND SHE
JOINS US NOW.
STELLA, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
IT’S GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I’M REALLY HONORED.
>> BEFORE WE DIVE IN, MAY I ASK,
WHAT PRONOUN SHOULD I USE WHEN
TALKING TO YOU.
>> SHE/HER.
AND FOR YOU?
>> HE, HIM, HIS, FOR ME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE
TESTIFYING BEFORE THE SENATE?
WHAT WAS THE MAIN MESSAGE YOU
WANTED THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM
WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY?
>> OF COURSE, WELL, YOU SAID IT
REALLY WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO SHOW THEM THAT
MY TRANSGENDER BROTHERS AND
SISTERS AND IN-BETWEENS ARE JUST
LIKE EVERY OTHER ORDINARY KID.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE SUPER NORMAL.
WE HAVE LIKE REALLY NORMAL
INTERESTS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW,
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WHO
HAVEN’T MET TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
ALREADY CREATE OPINIONS ABOUT
THEM THAT ARE FALSE, BUT MY GOAL
AND THE GOAL OF THE GENDER COOL
PROJECT IS TO REPLACE THOSE
OPINIONS WITH REAL EXPERIENCES,
MEETING TRANSGENDER AND
NONBINARY YOUTH.
>> CAN I ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU
MAKE OF THE FACT THAT PEOPLE
EVEN CARE ABOUT YOUR GENDER
IDENTITY?
I MEAN, YOU’RE A TEENAGER WHO’S
GOING THROUGH ALL THE THINGS
THAT TEENAGERS DEAL WITH, AND
THEN HAVING TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE
WHO ARE DEALING WITH YOU.
THAT’S GOT TO BE WEIRD.
>> YES.
IT’S DEFINITELY KIND OF, YOU
KNOW, IN MY MIND, IT’S LIKE -- I
DON’T KNOW WHY, IN SOME WAYS.
IT’S MY -- THAT’S MY -- THIS IS
MY WHO I AM.
AND I JUST REALLY WISH THAT
PEOPLE JUST ACCEPTED THAT.
AND WERE LIKE, OKAY.
YOU IDENTIFY AS SHE/HER, THAT IS
FANTASTIC.
LET’S JUST,, YOU KNOW -- YEAH.
IT’S VERY WEIRD THAT PEOPLE CARE
THAT MUCH.
>> TELL ME ABOUT THE GENDER COOL
PROJECT AND WHAT YOU’RE DOING
THROUGH THAT PROJECT?
>> SO, THE GENDER COOL PROJECT,
I AM ONE OF THE, JUST ONE OF THE
17 OTHER CHAMPIONS AND WE ARE
PART OF A MOVEMENT.
WE LIVE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE YOUNG AND WE JUST WANT
THEM TO UNDERSTAND WE’RE ALL
KIDS, JUST ORDINARY KIDS.
AND SO AFTER WE LAUNCHED, THEY
FOUND US BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZED
THAT WE ARE THE NEXT GEN
WORKFORCE AND WE ARE THE FUTURE
OF BUSINESS EXECUTIVES.
WE ARE FUTURE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
AND NURSES AND POLITICIANS AND
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT TO
WORK IN PLACES WHERE WE BELONG
AND FEEL SAFE.
>> STELLA, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT
THIS IS AN ISSUE?
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT WE NEED TO
EVEN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, THE
LEGISLATION, WHY DO YOU EVEN
HAVE TO EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO
ANYONE AT ALL?
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS UNDERNEATH
ALL OF THIS?
>> BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T
UNDERSTAND.
AND BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO
UNDERSTAND, EITHER.
LIKE, THEY, YOU KNOW -- AND AS I
SAID EARLIER, THEY CREATE
OPINIONS ABOUT US WITHOUT EVEN
MEETING US.
AND SO -- AND IT SOUNDS ALL VERY
DIFFERENT AND NEW AND WEIRD AND
I THINK THAT THAT SCARES
PEOPLE -- LIKE, SCARY -- SCARY
IS NOT QUITE RIGHT, BUT THEY
DON’T UNDERSTAND AND THEY DON’T
WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO REALLY
MEET US AND TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE
ARE AND WE JUST WANT TO LIVE OUR
LIVES.
AND WE JUST WANT TO LIKE -- WE
WANTED TO BE TREATED NORMALLY.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT’S HARDEST IS SEEING YOUR
KID GO OUT IN THE WORLD AND KNOW
THAT FOR LBGQTAI PEOPLE LIKE YOU
AND ME, THAT CAN BE SCARY FOR
PARENTS.
MY MOTHER STILL GETS NERVOUS
WHEN I CROSS THE STREET
SOMETIMES.
THERE WAS A FATHER WHO TESTIFIED
BEFORE THE MISSOURI HOUSE WHO
HAS A TRANSGENDER DAUGHTER ALSO.
MISSOURI IS PURSUING LEGISLATION
THAT WOULD REQUIRE TEENAGERS TO
PLAY ON SPORTS TEAMS BASED ON
THEIR ASSIGNED SEX AT BIRTH OR
THE SEX LISTED ON THEIR BIRTH
CERTIFICATES.
AND THE FATHER SAID OUT OF FEAR
FOR HIS DAUGHTER, HE FORCED HER
TO WEAR BOY’S CLOTHES, GET SHORT
HAIRCUTS, PLAY ON BOY’S SPORTS
TEAM, WHICH MADE HER MISERABLE.
THIS IS HIM TALKING ABOUT HIS
EXPERIENCE.
WATCH.
>> THE MOMENT WE ALLOWED MY
DAUGHTER TO BE WHO SHE IS, TO
GROW HER HAIR, TO WEAR THE
CLOTHES SHE WANTED TO WEAR, SHE
WAS A DIFFERENT CHILD.
AND I MEAN, IT WAS IMMEDIATE.
IT WAS A TOTAL TRANSFORMATION.
I NOW HAVE A CONFIDENT, A
SMILING, A HAPPY DAUGHTER.
SHE PLAYS ON GIRL’S VOLLEYBALL
TEAM.
SHE HAS FRIENDSHIPS.
SHE’S A KID.
>> STELLA, I’VE GOT TO LET YOU
GO IN JUST A SECOND, BUT FOR
PARENTS WHO ARE WATCHING THIS
WHO ARE LIKE, I AM JUST SCARED
FOR MY KID.
I LOVE THEM, BUT I DON’T WANT TO
SEE THEM HURT AND I DON’T KNOW
WHAT TO DO, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
TO THEM BEFORE WE GO?
>> YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY THAT,
YOU KNOW, MY ADVICE IS JUST LOVE
YOUR CHILD.
IT WAS VERY CLEAR IN THAT MAN’S
TESTIMONY AND WHEN HE WAS
SPEAKING THAT ONCE HE ALLOWED
HIS CHILD TO BE HERSELF AND ONCE
HE REALLY LOVED HER FOR WHO SHE
IS, NOT THAT HE DIDN’T BEFORE,
BUT JUST COULD REALLY SUPPORTED
HER AND, YOU KNOW, GAVE HER
OTHER THINGS THAT SHE NEEDED,
TRANSGENDER, NONBINARY YOUTH ARE
ABLE TO THRIVE.
AND THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE THEIR
DREAMS.
AND THAT WAS VERY CLEAR IN THAT
PERSON’S TESTIMONY.
AND IT SOUNDS VERY SIMPLE, BUT
LOVING YOUR CHILD IS ONE OF THE
MOST SIMPLE -- SIMPLEST THINGS
THAT A PARENT CAN DO.
>> IT’S AMAZING HOW LOVE
SIMPLIFIES THINGS WHEN YOU GET
RIGHT DOWN TO IT.
STELLA KEATING, YOU KNOW YOU’RE
FABULOUS, RIGHT?
YOU KNOW YOU’RE AWESOME?