We have two incredible stories for you today:
One is of Kat LaPrairie, who identifies as transgender and experiences attractions toward women. Kat came out as gay after high school and had serial dating relationships with women for a decade. In those years, Kat woke up many nights “gasping for God.”
The other story is of a mom, Kathi Bush. Kathi is a clinical therapist and mom to a son who wrestles with gender dysphoria. Kathi shares not only pieces of her journey with her son, but practical ways parents of children wrestling with gender dysphoria can journey alongside them well.
We also toss around our least favorite gender stereotypes, the Goo Goo Dolls (catch that opener? and the secret ending after the song at the very end?), and if we’d rather lose a year of our life or repeat the same day for 365 days. #itsgroundhogday
Highlights:
“That tugging at my heart, I felt it through those ten years. It would wake me up out of a sleep–where I would almost be gasping.” –Kat LaPrairie
“How does God see me? … He wasn’t doing the frown-face-with-the-shoulder-turn. He was like, ‘Dude. Finally. I’ve been waiting. And I’m so excited you are here.'” –Kat LaPrairie
“As parents we must be really self-aware to put ourself in a posture of love: I am going to put myself in your shoes and put myself in your space. This isn’t about me.” –Kathi Bush
“It was a little alarming the amount of pressure that the kids seemed to be under… to identify were they pansexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, cisgender, or were they transgender? … Some people want to be supportive (and that’s good!) …. What I’m not hearing is people interjecting, ‘And it’s okay if you don’t know. You’re developing. You don’t have to label yourselves, my loves. You don’t have to label yourselves.” –Kathi Bush
Do The Next Thing:
Read Grace/Truth 2.0 (released the end of summer 2018).
Read Transgender by Vaughn Roberts.
Check out the pastoral paper by By Dr. Mark Yarhouse & Julia Sadusky (and Yarhouse’s book).
Do you have questions for Kathi? You can email her here.