>>> YOURE ABOUT TO MEET A
FAMILY WHOSE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
FOR THEIR CHILDREN WILL LIKELY
INSPIRE YOU TO BE A MORE UNDERSTANDING, SUPPORTIVE
UNDERSTANDING, SUPPORTIVE PARENT.
PARENT. IT DID ME.
THE GROSHANDLERS WERE KNOWN AS THE FAMILY WITH FOUR BOYS.N AS
THE FAMILY WITH FOUR BOYS. UNTIL ALL THAT BEGAN TO CHANGE.
WATCH.
>> JOHN AND I WERE BLESSED TO HAVE THREE BOYS.RE BLESSED TO
HAVE THREE BOYS. AND THEN, OUR FOURTH WAS BORN.
AND WE NAMED THIS KIDDO CHAZZ. IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE WERE KNOWN
AS THE FAMILY OF FOUR BOYS.
>> Reporter: IN 2008, BY THE
TIME THEIR YOUNGEST TURNED 2,
THE PARENTS SAW CHAZZS
INTERESTS EMERGE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN THE TODDLERSRENT
DIRECTION THAN THE TODDLERS ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE OLDER BROTHERS.
>> WE WOULD BE IN OUR LOCAL STORE AND CHAZZ WOULD SAY, THE
DOLLS.
DOLLS.
IVE GOT TO HAVE THAT DOLL.
I WOULD LOOK AND SAY, A DOLL?
REALLY?
HONESTLY?
>> JENNY AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT
HOW THIS IS DIFFERENT.
AND WE AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO
SUPPORT THE DESIRE AND THE
BEHAVIOR. >> Reporter: CHAZZS FAVORITE
COLOR WAS PINK.
CHAZZ LIKED FASHION AND
GRAVITATED TOWARDS BOOKS WITH
FEMALE ROLE MODELS.
BEFORE HE STARTED PRESCHOOL,
THEY KNEW HE WANTED LONG HAIR.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. YOURE THE BALLERINA.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK IN THEIR EYES
AND THEY HAVE THAT LOOK AND THAT SMILE, AND THEY HAVE THE WAYTHAT
SMILE, AND THEY HAVE THE WAY
THEY KIND OF MOVE THEIR BODY THAT TELLS YOU, THIS IS THEY
THAT TELLS YOU, THIS IS THE RIGHT THING.
RIGHT THING.
EVEN IN KINDERGARTEN, WE DIDNT
UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON.D EXACTLY WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
BUT WE FELT LIKE WE WERE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS WE KNEW HOW
TO DO AT THAT POINT.
>> Reporter: WHEN CHAZZ WAS
READY TO START KINDERGARTEN,
THEY TALKED TO THEIR LOCAL
SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TEACHERS
ABOUT CHAZZS DEVELOPING
PERSONALITY.
PERSONALITY.
AND WE SAID, THIS IS OUR CHILD. AND YOU KNOW US.S IS OUR CHILD.
AND YOU KNOW US. AND YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE.
AND WE ARE PSYCHED THAT OUR
CHILD IS EVOLVING.
IT WAS REALLY COMFORTABLE.
>> Reporter: JOHN AND JEN SAY
CHAZZS CLASSMATES SUPPORTED
THEIR CHILDS SELF-EXPRESSION.
>> ITS BEEN A JOURNEY.
AS CHAZZ WENT FROM KINDERGARTEN
TO FIRST, SECOND, THIRD GRADE,
WEVE LEARNED SOMETHING EACH
YEAR.
YEAR.
>> Reporter: ONE MORNING WHEN
CHAZZ WAS IN FOURTH GRADE, IN THE BUSTLE OF GETTING READY FOR
SCHOOL, JEN SAYS HER WORLD
STOPPED.
STOPPED.
>> I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT DAY.
I LOOKED OVER AT CHAZZ. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, I JUST SAW,
I SAW TEARS.
I SAW THESE HUGE TEARS.
AND IT JUST CAUSED ME TO STOP.
IT CAUSED ME TO STOP.
I REMEMBER, I DROPPED THE THINGS
THAT WERE IN MY HANDS AND I
SAID, HONEY, WHATS WRONG?
WHY ARE YOU SO SAD?
AND CHAZZ SAID TO ME, LOOKED
RIGHT AT ME AND CHAZZ SAID, MOM,
WHAT HAPPENS IF IM A GIRL
BECAUSE I AM?
I AM.
I AM. I AM A GIRL.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME?
WILL YOU LOVE ME?
WILL MY BROTHERS LOVE ME?
WILL MY DAD LOVE ME?
>> JOINING ME NOW, 11-YEAR-OLD
CHAZZIG GROSHANDLER, ALONG WITH
HER PARENTS.
HER PARENTS.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, LOVE? >> GOOD.YOU DOING, LOVE?
>> GOOD.
>> SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
JEN, CHAZZIE SAYS THAT TO YOU, BECAUSE I AM.SAYS THAT TO YOU,
BECAUSE I AM. AND WHAT DID YOU SAY IN
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE?
>> I SAID, HONEY, WE BELIEVE
YOU.
WE BELIEVE YOU.
WE WERE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE COULD FROM THAT POINTYTHING
WE COULD FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, TO MAKE SURE SHE HAD
THE BEST LIFE EVER.
>> WAS THAT SCARY TO SAY THAT TO
YOUR MOM?
YOUR MOM?
>> YEAH.
I DIDNT KNOW WHAT TIME AND I
WOULD ALWAYS BE SCARED IF MY PARENTS WOULDNT LOVE ME.F MY
PARENTS WOULDNT LOVE ME. >> IT SEEMS LIKE JUST KNOWING
THEM, THE LITTLE I DO, YOU WOULD
NEVER REALISTICALLY HAVE TO FEAR
THAT, RIGHT?
THAT, RIGHT? THEY SEEM SO SUPPORTIVE AND
AMAZING.
AMAZING.
WHEN YOUR MOM RESPONDED LIKE SHE DID, HOW DID THAT FEEL? LIKE SHE
DID, HOW DID THAT FEEL?
>> IT MADE ME RELIEVED THAT I DIDNT HAVE TO HIDE WHO I WASI
DIDNT HAVE TO HIDE WHO I WAS INSIDE.
INSIDE.
>> WHEN DID YOU START TO FEEL,
IM IN THIS BODY THAT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED MALE.THAT HAS BEEN
DESIGNATED MALE.
I KNOW I AM A GIRL.
>> EVER SINCE I WAS LIKE 5, I ALWAYS CAME TO MY BEST FRIENDS
HOUSE.
HOUSE.
AND I ALWAYS PLAYED DRESS-UP.
WE DID, LIKE, SO MUCH GIRLIE
STUFF.
AND I THOUGHT, MAYBE IM A GIRL.
MAYBE IM NOT A BOY. >> ITS AMAZING THAT THAT JUST
CAME TO YOU.
WERE YOU AWARE THATS A POSSIBILITY?RE THATS A
POSSIBILITY?
>> YEAH.
>> YOU DID KNOW. >> WE SEE YOU IN THE VIDEO.
AND YOU SAY, YOURE THE
BALLERINA.
BALLERINA.
YOU SOUND SO SUPPORTIVE AND YOURE LIKE, YOURE -- YOURED
YOURE LIKE, YOURE -- YOURE THE FOOTBALL PLAYER.
WERE YOU OPEN-MINDED TO THAT
POSSIBILITY?
POSSIBILITY?
OR WERE YOU NOT THINKING ABOUT IT EARLY ON?NOT THINKING ABOUT
IT EARLY ON? >> I WASNT THINKING ABOUT IT
EARLY ON.
EARLY ON.
AND IM OPEN-MINDED TO WHAT I AM WITH ALL MY KIDS, TO BEHAT I AM
WITH ALL MY KIDS, TO BE UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING AND
SUPPORTIVE AND TO LISTEN TO
THEM.
THEM.
IF SHE WANTED TO BE A BALLERINA THAT DAY, SHE GOT TO BE ALERINA
THAT DAY, SHE GOT TO BE A BALLERINA AND I SUPPORT THAT.
>> CHAZZIE DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT
IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE
TELLING YOU THAT YOURE A BOY?
>> I FELT BAD AND SAD BECAUSE
THAT WASNT ME.
I WAS A GIRL.
AND EVERYBODY, SINCE I
TRANSITIONED, SHOULD KNOW ME AS
A GIRL AND NOT AS A BOY.
>> IS IT TRUE, JEN, SOME PEOPLE
THINK YOU PUSHED CHAZZ INTO
BECOMING CHAZZIE, TO OWNING
CHAZZ
CHAZZ CHAZZIE, BECAUSE YOU HAD FOUR
BOYS?
BOYS? YOU WERE THE DESPERATE MOTHER
FOR A GIRL?
>> THATS SO INTERESTING.
CHAZZIE WAS BORN INTO THE MOST
MASCULINE OF HOUSEHOLDS.
WE HAVE THREE OLDER BROTHERS AND
A DAD AND A BOY DOG.
LIKE A FLASHING NEON SIGN THAT
SAID, WE RAISE BOYS, BOYS, BOYS.
AND IN SPITE OF THAT, SHE WENT
IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO, THATS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE
THINGS WE HOPE TO COMMUNICATE,
BY SHARING OUR STORY WITH YOU
AND WITH FOLKS IS THAT, THIS IS
REAL.
REAL.
AND ITS COOL. THE MORE FOLKS HEAR OUR STORY,
WE HOPE, WE HOPE MORE FOLKS WILL
UNDERSTAND THE KIDS WERE
RAISING AND THE VALUES THAT WE
HAVE, WHAT WE EXPECT OF OUR
CHILDREN, ARE REALLY NOT SO
DIFFERENT THAN THEIR OWN
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES.
>> IVE HEARD AN EXPRESSION THAT IS, YOUR ONLY PROBLEM IS YOURAT
IS, YOUR ONLY PROBLEM IS YOUR BELIEF THAT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT A SITUATION
THAT COMES YOUR WAY THAT IS
CHALLENGING AND DONT SAY THATS
A PROBLEM, BUT THATS AN
OPPORTUNITY, AND THATS JUST A
CHANGE THAT WELL WORK WITH, IT
CAN CHANGE YOUR ENTIRE OUTLOOK
ON IT.
ON IT. CHAZZIE, AS YOU LOOK BACK ON
YOUR SOCIAL TRANSITION, WHATS
BEEN THE HARDEST PART?
AND WHATS BEEN THE BEST PART?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE BAD
PART THAT I FELT WAS, LIKE, IF I
WOULD HAVE FRIENDS.
AND WOULD THEY STILL ACCEPT ME
IF I TOLD THEM?
AND THE GOOD PART WAS JUST BEING
ME AND GOING TO SO MANY PLACES
AND SEEING OTHERS THAT ARE JUST
LIKE ME GIVES ME SO MUCH