Help Grace Keep Her Child
Donación protegida
My name is Lisa and I'm here on behalf of my dear friend "Grace Love," who is a transwoman currently in a battle to retain custody of her 10 year old son.
She is telling her story here with an alias because her legal team has advised her against doing this for herself. She doesn't want to risk losing her son in this battle due to claims of her leveraging her son to raise money for her fees. But I'm here as a loving friend, with great compassion for her and her son, to relay her story and try to help as much as I can.
In Grace's Words:
Recently, I successfully transitioned in a very small Texas town where I chose to remain to continue providing love and support to my son. We enjoy a very healthy and trusting relationship where every day I see him growing to be a fine young man with a good heart and a kind spirit.
Nothing is more important to me in this life than being there for my son in every way possible. That means picking him up from school and helping him with his homework the weeks he lives at my home. That means cheering for him in the bleachers of each and every one of his baseball games while ignoring the sharp piercing glances and hateful chatter of my ex. That means teaching him to be honest about his emotions and helping him to work his way through struggles in his life.
After my first and only marriage ended, the courts decided to give me equal custody of my child because I was found to be a successful and nurturing parent. For three years, I enjoyed raising my son, sharing parental custody equally with my ex. However, this year, after my transition, my ex decide to attempt to end the equal custody rights because she felt that my transition was harmful to my son. She has a ton of assistance from her family who feel the same way.
The most difficult struggle my son and I have ever had to endure together began the day my ex decided to take my son away because I'm transgender.
What she doesn't know is that my son and I have a relationship that can't be broken and we refuse to be taken from each other. To take my son away would absolutely crush him, and it would devastate me. No 10 year old boy deserves this, and that is why I am asking for your help. He is my life.
I've hired one of the best attorneys in Texas to help me with my case -- one who is familiar with the hardships that transparents are forced to endure. The price is steep for the service, but I am thankful that the firm has been more than fair with by giving me extensions on deadlines for fee payments. I have made just enough to get me through the co-parent counseling and the discovery phase of the litigation process.
Now, I'm looking at entering a custody evaluation in June 2017. My case is so strong that recommendations will be made for my ex to settle, but she won't. She wants to destroy me and take away my reason for living.
After that, I will enter mediation in July. Again, there will be no settlement because the goal is to ruin the loving relationship that I share with my son.
Next will be the jury trial in late July 2017.
It's so much. I'm trying so hard. While my ex seems to have a never-ending stream of funding, I'm barely able to keep the lights on while trying to keep my son.
I see the battle ahead and my strength is wavering because I know I don't have the money to keep fighting. I have pushed and pushed as far as I can go, and now I'm torn up with the realization that I might lose my son because I currently can't make it to litigation and she can.
Transparents are being bullied and discriminated against in a whirlwind of hate. This must stop. A loving parent is a loving parent, and we should be treated EQUALLY! We need to set precedence, and with your help WE WILL!
As much as this is about helping me keep my son, this is also about so much more. I intend to be on the right side of history. The cost for experts and attorneys are high and have become unaffordable for us, but we will keep fighting as much as we can.
I cannot give in or accept defeat. I need to teach my son that it's OK to be who you are, and even though some may not accept you, it doesn't matter as it changes nothing.
My son is my biggest fan, and I owe him nothing less than my full effort and every ounce of everything that I have to remain a postive influence of love and light in his life. He's my world, and one can't exist if their world is gone.
Thank you for your help. It means a lot to me and my son.
#translivesmatter #transparentsmatter #imwithgrace
She is telling her story here with an alias because her legal team has advised her against doing this for herself. She doesn't want to risk losing her son in this battle due to claims of her leveraging her son to raise money for her fees. But I'm here as a loving friend, with great compassion for her and her son, to relay her story and try to help as much as I can.
In Grace's Words:
Recently, I successfully transitioned in a very small Texas town where I chose to remain to continue providing love and support to my son. We enjoy a very healthy and trusting relationship where every day I see him growing to be a fine young man with a good heart and a kind spirit.
Nothing is more important to me in this life than being there for my son in every way possible. That means picking him up from school and helping him with his homework the weeks he lives at my home. That means cheering for him in the bleachers of each and every one of his baseball games while ignoring the sharp piercing glances and hateful chatter of my ex. That means teaching him to be honest about his emotions and helping him to work his way through struggles in his life.
After my first and only marriage ended, the courts decided to give me equal custody of my child because I was found to be a successful and nurturing parent. For three years, I enjoyed raising my son, sharing parental custody equally with my ex. However, this year, after my transition, my ex decide to attempt to end the equal custody rights because she felt that my transition was harmful to my son. She has a ton of assistance from her family who feel the same way.
The most difficult struggle my son and I have ever had to endure together began the day my ex decided to take my son away because I'm transgender.
What she doesn't know is that my son and I have a relationship that can't be broken and we refuse to be taken from each other. To take my son away would absolutely crush him, and it would devastate me. No 10 year old boy deserves this, and that is why I am asking for your help. He is my life.
I've hired one of the best attorneys in Texas to help me with my case -- one who is familiar with the hardships that transparents are forced to endure. The price is steep for the service, but I am thankful that the firm has been more than fair with by giving me extensions on deadlines for fee payments. I have made just enough to get me through the co-parent counseling and the discovery phase of the litigation process.
Now, I'm looking at entering a custody evaluation in June 2017. My case is so strong that recommendations will be made for my ex to settle, but she won't. She wants to destroy me and take away my reason for living.
After that, I will enter mediation in July. Again, there will be no settlement because the goal is to ruin the loving relationship that I share with my son.
Next will be the jury trial in late July 2017.
It's so much. I'm trying so hard. While my ex seems to have a never-ending stream of funding, I'm barely able to keep the lights on while trying to keep my son.
I see the battle ahead and my strength is wavering because I know I don't have the money to keep fighting. I have pushed and pushed as far as I can go, and now I'm torn up with the realization that I might lose my son because I currently can't make it to litigation and she can.
Transparents are being bullied and discriminated against in a whirlwind of hate. This must stop. A loving parent is a loving parent, and we should be treated EQUALLY! We need to set precedence, and with your help WE WILL!
As much as this is about helping me keep my son, this is also about so much more. I intend to be on the right side of history. The cost for experts and attorneys are high and have become unaffordable for us, but we will keep fighting as much as we can.
I cannot give in or accept defeat. I need to teach my son that it's OK to be who you are, and even though some may not accept you, it doesn't matter as it changes nothing.
My son is my biggest fan, and I owe him nothing less than my full effort and every ounce of everything that I have to remain a postive influence of love and light in his life. He's my world, and one can't exist if their world is gone.
Thank you for your help. It means a lot to me and my son.
#translivesmatter #transparentsmatter #imwithgrace
Organizador
Lisa Street
Organizador
Houston, TX
