*The names have been changed to protect all involved*

Amy and Rory are the parents of a beautiful, gender-expansive child, Rose. Assigned male at birth, Rose began to express more traditionally feminine behavior almost as soon as she could form the words. She liked pink, tutus, keeping her hair long, and getting mani pedis. Ever supportive, her parents allowed Rose to express herself however she wanted. Rose grew up with Minecraft T-shirts and unicorn dresses. Action figures and dolls. So, it wasn’t exactly a surprise at the beginning of this year when Rose told her parents that she was a girl. She asked to be referred to as a girl, use she/her pronouns, and change her name to Rose.

It wasn’t a shock, but the news didn’t come without stress. Amy and Rory lost sleep wondering if this was just a phase, what would happen if their child started going to school as “Rose”, and what sort of future their child would have in a world that’s still so convinced your gender identity has to match your genitals. They did a lot of research on those sleepless nights, and what they learned was that if their child grows up to decide that she’s a boy after all, letting her explore being Rose wasn’t going to hurt her. But if Rose really is transgender, trying to force her to be a boy could be incredibly damaging to her mental health. 52% of transgender youth seriously contemplate suicide. That number plummets if the kid has just one accepting parent figure in their life.

Rose is one of the lucky ones, because she has two parents who accept her. Rory and Amy made the decision to let their child explore who she wanted to be, and Rose has been thriving ever since. At first, Amy and Rory told just a handful of close friends and relatives. To their surprise and relief, everyone was enormously supportive, and happy to call Rose whatever made her happy.

Everyone that is, except for Amy’s parents. Their reaction was one of shock and horror. They outright refused to call Rose anything but her dead name and he/him pronouns. They said what Amy and Rory were doing was tantamount to child abuse. That it was sick, and that Amy and Rory were deriving some twisted pleasure from “forcing” their child to be a girl. Amy and Rory tried everything they could to convince the grandparents to come around- sending them countless articles on the subject, and allowing them to interact with Rose and see how happy she was. They even arranged for a guided conversation between the four of them with Rose’s therapist acting as a mediator. The grandparents remained sure of their position, even as four different therapists confirmed that Amy and Rory were handling this situation the correct way.

All this lack of support could not have come at a worse time. Just after Rose came out, Amy underwent extensive surgery to correct a life-long disorder. The surgery didn’t go as hoped. It left Amy permanently disabled, and she now uses a cane and mobility scooter to get around. Most days, she’s unable to clean the house, cook meals, or stand for long periods of time. Amy has also been unable to return to work and is in the process of applying for disability. That’s put a lot of extra strain on Rory, who works full time doing physical labor. All of the housework and financial responsibility has fallen on him. What they could have used more than anything is the support of family- some words of encouragement, a home-cooked meal, a little help with the laundry, or for Amy’s incredibly wealthy parents to provide even a small amount of financial support. Instead, they got constant reminders about what horrible parents they were, right when Amy was at her lowest point.

Still, Amy and Rory kept trying to reestablish a good relationship with Amy’s parents. Amy and Rory recognized that the grandparents were a product of the times they were raised in and might need some time to come around. Amy and Rory kept reaching out and kept allowing the grandparents to see Rose.

That is until Amy’s parents reported them to CPS. The report lambasted Amy and Rory for forcing Rose to be a girl, and said that because Amy has mobility issues, she is incapable of caring for her child. Those things, CPS had no intention of labeling as child abuse, but the other things in the report were worth investigating. Amy’s parents concocted a long list of lies and exaggerations- that Amy abuses alcohol and drugs, that she sleeps most of the day and leaves Rose to entirely care for herself, and that their home is filthy and structurally unsound. CPS did a full investigation, visiting the home and privately interviewing Rose. They ruled that everything in the report was false and closed the case.

And so, Amy’s parents escalated. They are now suing for full custody of Rose. If they win, they will cut Roses’s hair, throw out all her dresses, and force her to live as a boy. They’ve even discussed getting Rose a therapist affiliated with Focus on the Family, a hate-group that’s notorious for condoning transgender conversion therapy.

Prior to this point, the grandparents only saw Rose once or twice a month at family dinners with Rory and Amy also in attendance. The grandparents rarely watched Rose on their own, and only had her sleep over a couple times in her whole life. That was the grandparent's choice, not Rose's parents. The grandparents always said that more time alone with Rose was "too exhausting". Now they're claiming that they're close enough to Rose that ripping her away from her parents won't be damaging.

The case hinges on all the same claims CPS were so quick to dismiss. Maybe the courts will be equally quick to dismiss these claims as groundless. But best-case scenario, going to trial will financially devastate a family that’s already struggling to get by (their legal fees are estimated to be in the range of $30,000). And worst-case, they’ll take Rose away from her loving parents, causing irreparable damage to a little girl who just wants to be who she is.

Amy and Rory are terrified, financially strapped, and desperate to save their daughter from people who will never accept her. Not to mention, save her from the potential mental damage/suicide rates that are so prevalent in the trans community when forced to live a life not as her authentic self.

All donations received will go straight to their legal defense fund. Help this family protect their daughter. #operationstayhome #protecttranskids