Recently, we posted a blog written by our Young Adult Intern about the experiences young people in Indiana are having in the current political atmosphere. This week, we are sharing a story from one of our Youth Council members that speak to these experiences. ICADV is thankful to work alongside intelligent, brave and strong young people that want to make a change in Indiana.
My name is Graylie, and I’m a trans woman in my senior year at the Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship here in Bloomington. Nearly every single person at my school I can call an ally to the queer community. I’m also fortunate enough to say that my family is very accepting.
But the unfortunate reality is that I have many friends whose families might very well hurt them if they found out about their preferred name and pronouns. That’s just the sad truth. Not all homes are safe for you to be who you are because of the transphobic rhetoric that is saturating our media today.
And, because of the recently passed Indiana House Bill 1608, none of my friends can go by the name they need to feel safe without worrying that a staff member will report their name or pronoun change to their parents. Because they have to. The worst part is, I know how much it hurts the staff members who care but are legally obligated to report this information.
Thank you, Graylie, for sharing your story and point of view as a young person in Indiana.
