As many of you know, I taught on Trans Ideology last Monday night. Something amazing happened.
One lady shared about her son. Never had he shown any hint of wanting to be a girl—not as a toddler or a teen. But in his sophomore year of college, he came out to his parents. They were dumbfounded and crushed.
At first the mom felt isolated. Some she knew had encouraged her to celebrate. But at her conservative church, she felt zero permission to open up, share her burden, and grieve. She feared ostracism.
But then a fellow church member made a disparaging and critical remark about the LGBTQ community. She could contain herself no longer.
“So you’re saying my son would no longer be welcome at our church?!” That was a turning point for her and also for the church. She now leads a support group for parents of trans.
Two others attending that teaching also had children who either are transitioning or have transitioned in the past. The rest of us watched as these courageous moms were encouraging one another. At the end, they promised to stay in touch and read some helpful books about prodigals.
The very next day, someone asked if there was help for a couple in Louisiana whose son has begun to transition. These three ladies have now agreed to be a support group for anyone who needs encouragement.
Even though one of them has a son who has now thankfully detransitioned, none of them claim to be experts. But they are committed to listening, encouraging, and praying for each other. Space for parents to grieve will also be offered.
Elsewhere in the blog, I have described the pain of parents who have compounded grief. Like every parent, they’ve had dreams for their daughter or son, and perhaps have even envisioned grandchildren. But now those hopes have died.
The culture and even some of their friends and family warn them to keep silent. Instead of mourning their loss, they must now celebrate their child’s courage in accepting their true selves. Some are even warned that any hint of rejection might trigger suicide for their son or daughter.
Just this morning, an article landed in my inbox, expressing this very thing. It was from a newsletter titled PITT (Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans). Today’s post is titled “No Grief Allowed”.
Do you know of parents caught in the trauma of losing the child they once cherished? We now have a place for them. You can refer them to me at ongley01@icloud.com.