Help a Trans Child and Family Leave Alabama

I recently moved to Alabama with my two sons to be close to my family. After leaving a particularly bad marriage to the father of my children, I wanted us to get a new start with the loving support from our family who we’d been kept from for nearly 20 years. I am horrified now, nine months after moving back home, to have to move once again.

 

See, one of my sons is trans and I need to do all I can to protect him.

 

Since Kay Ivey signed SB184 into law yesterday, I have desperately been trying to figure out how to keep my son safe. SB184 takes the decision on trans children’s healthcare away from their parents and doctors and prohibits gender-affirming healthcare for Alabama residents under the age of 19, making it a Class C felony for doctors to provide that care.

 

When we moved, there was a problem with switching R’s care to our local gender clinic. In the time it took to do so, his health began to fall apart. My son was getting sicker and sicker and I didn’t understand. I fought to get his testosterone prescription renewed from out of state and hoped that would end whatever was happening with him but he continued to decline. After repeated testing, we figured out that his health issues were brought on by severe dehydration. My son’s period had begun while he was off his medication. He was hiding the fact out of shame and was avoiding liquids so he wouldn’t have to deal with the dysphoria he was feeling. I cannot let him detransition. He will not survive it.

 

My son has known who he was since he was eight years old. He’s been receiving gender affirming care for seven years. I will not let this state tell us who he is and what is best for his mental health.

 

Because of our recent move and a divorce still in process, we need help with funds to pack up and move our family’s house. We also need help with a down payment to purchase a home in a new place. My family was kind enough to allow us to live in their home for free, so it isn’t even like we can sell our house to recoup any of these expenses. We should also repair our car to make the move safe. We’d love to be able to go somewhere entirely safe (i.e. a blue state) but with a grandmother in hospice, and a desire to rekindle our family connection (with no funds to travel back and forth, not to mention during a pandemic), I want to stay as close as possible while still allowing him to get the health care he needs.

 

I’m asking for 30,000 to cover all the aspects of our move. I’ve found some adequate houses that would do for now. I’m not trying to get a mansion. Just enough space for two growing boys, a single mother, and a large collection of emotional support animals.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!