Hey there, newsletter readers! I’m Madison Pauly, a reporter covering the politics of gender in the Trump era, and I’m honored to share with you a special story today.
The months since Trump’s inauguration have been hell for families with transgender children. They’ve already lived through record-breaking years of anti-trans state legislation, followed by the most anti-LGBTQ presidential election cycle in decades. Now, as Trump turns the weight of the federal government against trans kids—attacking their health care and support in school, declaring “gender ideology” to be a form of child abuse—they’re dealing with canceled appointments, harassment, and the reemergence of mental health challenges they’ve fought to overcome.
My colleague Henry Carnell and I have spent the last three months getting to know seven of these families: listening to their stories, hopes and fears, and plans to survive the Trump era. Some are making plans to move away. Some have already fled. Parents talk about doing anything for their children. One, a father in the South, is begging for allies. “Please help us,” he says.
Without exception, these families asked us to conceal their identities. But you can listen to them tell their stories in their own words, and I’d recommend doing so. As a reporter, you know some interviews will stay with you forever. These are a few.
—Madison Pauly
