Documentary

Just two more days.  The documentary that Max aka "Nathan" filmed will be on.  I'm nervous about how it will be put together!
Article about the show

“PRIMETIME NIGHTLINE” GOES INSIDE THE WORLD OF TRANSGENDER KIDS
AND TEENS IN “MY (EXTRA) ORDINARY FAMILY: MY KID IS TRANSGENDER”
On WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), “Primetime Nightline” goes on a remarkable journey inside three families struggling to do right by their transgender kids – one, a biological boy who, at age 10, is now going to school as a girl and who will soon be given medicine to keep from going through male puberty; a15-year-old biological girl who is taking testosterone to make her more masculine; and a 19-year-old biological male who goes to Mexico to have six surgeries in two hours to make him more feminine. Cynthia McFadden looks at the challenges these individuals face, the decisions they and their parents make and the risks they have to take in order to become the people they feel they were born to be. The program looks at the social, medical and surgical changes and their emotional toll, includes discussions with leading experts, and finds a grim reality — transgender kids often are rejected by their families. One estimate has over 33% of them attempting suicide.
Jackie, a 10-year-old from Ohio, was originally born as Jack. As a toddler, Jack was drawn to his sister’s dolls and clothes and enjoyed dressing up in tutus. Turning 10, with tears in his eyes he told his parents, “I’m a girl on the inside.” Within months, with his parents’ help, Jack became Jackie. She now attends school as a girl, wearing girl’s clothing, heels and makeup. “Primetime Nightline” is there as Jackie navigates her transition and meets relatives for the first time as a girl. Soon she will begin taking puberty blockers, a controversial treatment which will prevent her from going through male puberty.
Nathan is a 15-year-old living in Arizona and was originally born Natalie. Always feeling out of place as a girl, he came home from his first day of pre-school to tell his mother, “I’m a boy.” He started dressing in gender neutral clothing in pre-school. As Natalie grew up, her parents became convinced this wasn’t a phase, and are now helping in the transition. The program follows Natalie as she changes her name to Nathan in court and prepares to start testosterone treatment, which will give her the physical attributes of a boy. Harassed into home schooling, Nathan has no friends his own age. Cynthia McFadden introduces him to his transgender idol, Chaz Bono, who offers him and his family a few words of advice and hope.
Vanessa is 19-years-old living and working in New York City. Vanessa was born as Pierry. At first, her immigrant family had a difficult time accepting their son as their daughter, but now that she has decided on surgery, they have come to support her. But neither the family nor Vanessa can afford the transition, so she has turned to prostitution to pay for the body she feels she should’ve been born with. “Primetime Nightline” goes along with her to Guadalajara, Mexico, where $6500 cash will buy her six surgeries in two hours, as she struggles to become the woman she’s always wanted to be.
“Primetime Nightline” also profiles Kim Petras, a burgeoning pop sensation who became the world’s youngest person to have a complete sex change operation at the age of 16, and interviews Charles Kane, perhaps the only person in the world to have sexual reassignment surgery twice…going from man to woman and back again. Kane regrets his decision to have sexual reassignment surgery, and believes children should not be given these therapies.
ABC News’ “Nightline” is anchored by Cynthia McFadden, Terry Moran and Bill Weir. John Donvan and Juju Chang are correspondents. Jeanmarie Condon is the executive producer.

Lucky

I was thinking in awe yesterday when I got a message from Max's therapist.  He is so very lucky to have gotten such luck with a SOOO supportive team.  His therapist is on board with giving his letter for surgery and also willing to help us if we start a Transforming families chapter.  I can't say enough about the HUGE support his Endo Dr has given us.  With this support and guidance our appointment is made for the consultation for top surgery!  I won't leave out the HUGE support he has from his mentors and friends we have met on this journey.  Now if we can just get this same support from school, then maybe he can just be a happy kid!!

Currently, I'm fighting with an ONLINE school about changing his letter from F to M!  Really, what does it matter who is sitting at the other side of the computer.  I'm getting the "we will get back to you" again, like I did when we signed him up.  I even explained that it is beyond just a letter to us.  Our biggest safety issue with it revolves around going to testing.  Max has to go to a live testing site with the other kids to take state tests.  They have to prove who they are for this, to avoid people taking tests for them.  I get this.  However, we show ID and my son looks like a boy.  The paperwork says "female".  Then  I have to explain the reason for this in front of other parents and kids he doesn't know, this out's him to everyone.  Not only creating a safety issue for him, but also anxiety in him, making test taking difficult.  They didn't seem to care about that, just that his letter match his "documentation" (birth cert).  I explained that in a few weeks I will be able to have documentation (passport and state ID) that states M.  This is when I got the "we will get back to you".  UGH

Speaking of....Friday is the day, Jim and I (both have to be present) are going to the passport office, armed with our "letter" from the Dr, and ordering Max's passport. 

TSA_Seattle

First time Max had to do the scanner at the airport.  All went well.  Of course anxiety was high for being picked out for a pat down, but all went well.  Coming out from Phoenix, even though they were scanning everyone, they let him go through without getting scanned or patted down.  Still think there needs to be training for the agents on how to handle people that might not be the gender in which they appear.  Yelling out "male" or "female" agent for the world to hear isn't cool. 

Seattle Conference

We are here at Gender Odyssey a conference in Seattle.  Best part of course is escaping that 110 degrees of Arizona for the cool 70's here in Seattle.  Otherwise, it's wonderful to be with our new "friends".  As well to be in an area that is SOOOOO excepting of us and our son.  Max is a hit with many adults.  Mainly for being so brave to share his story on TV.  The teens he's meeting, he said are just like anywhere else, some you like some you don't.  He's enjoying just being a kid and NOT really talking with the kids about trans things.  Just being one of the guys and being excepted as one of the guys is what's perfect.  I really think Max is so much happier every little bit closer to being JUST MAX.  Chaz has been part of this weekend as well, so Max has had a couple of opportunities to meet up with him again!  He still wants to DANCE with Ellen...then I think he will feel his life is complete LOL.
I think as well the filming is complete....for the ABC special, which at last count had been moved up to Aug 24th!  Oh boy ...here we go!  Will post any changes on that.

$75.99

So as expected the Testosterone is not paid for by insurance.  However, the $75.99 is for 2000mg.  Max is currently getting 50mg, so it should last over a year!  So not so bad. 

Seattle bound!

On Thursday we leave with 6 of our new friends to Gender Odyssey.  We are looking forward to escaping the heat of Arizona, to the nice cool weather of Seattle, WA

Max will have an opportunity to meet with MANY other trans teens as well as meet Chaz again! 

Gender Odyssey

Pharmacy

When things go really easy with this whole transitioning thing, it seems like such a milestone.  Today I went to the Pharmacy.  The same one that I've gotten meds for Max before, but before the name change.  This is the first thing I've needed with the new name.  So I come in armed with our name change paperwork and expect some resistance.  So I tell them we have had a name change, show him the prescription with the new name, he looks it up and voila, it's done.  BUT as a bonus!!  He said, "oh it says female in here", and changed that too!  Not sure what kind of issue this may cause in the future but for now it seemed like a victory!  My response to him was a simple, "I know, thus the need for a name change".  Which is true, but just in a completely different way then he was thinking I'm sure.  NOW let's all hope and pray it's this simple when signing him up for school next year.  ;)