Trans kids thank their parents for unconditional love in this heartwarming campaign

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is combating anti-trans misinformation with a campaign that’s all about love and care.

Last month, the non-profit public interest law firm, which advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, launched its “Healthcare is Caring” campaign with a short PSA directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Zen Pace. The clip features the voices of trans teens reading letters to their parents describing their experiences of coming out and the impact their parents’ support had on them.

Related:

The Supreme Court is being asked to hear its first case on gender-affirming care ever

The ACLU is trying to stop a ban from going into effect.

It ends with a poignant and timely message: “The thing our kids have always needed is care.”

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“This film is special to me because not only does it touch my community, but it helps put forward a much more accurate story of these families that simply doesn’t exist out there,” Pace said in a statement. “It gives space to these parents; it’s a gift from their children.”

According to The Drum, NCLR’s “Healthcare is Caring” campaign was developed with the help of public relations and marketing consultancy firm Edelman. The firm’s data and intelligence division conducted a study on how misinformation about gender-affirming care spreads online. It found that a disproportionately small number of voices have driven anti-trans discourse, leading to a wave of state laws and local restrictions that have banned gender-affirming care for young people and severely limited trans people’s ability to exist openly and safely in the public sphere.

NCLR has been combating such legislation. The firm has challenged laws banning gender-affirming care for minors in Alabama, Florida, and Kentucky. After the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld state bans in Kentucky and Tennessee, the NCLR filed a petition on November 3 urging the Supreme Court to review the decision. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Tennessee, and Lambda Legal have also asked the Supreme Court to review the Tennessee decision. If the justices agree to hear the case, it would be the first time a case involving gender-affirming care has ever come before the court.

As part of the “Healthcare” is Caring campaign, NCLR is urging supporters to sign an open letter calling on elected leaders to ensure equal access to gender-affirming care — which is recognized by every major American medical association as evidence-based, safe, and often necessary for the treatment of gender dysphoria. The letter calls on elected officials to put an end to both legal bans and the false narratives characterizing this lifesaving health care as “child abuse.”

The campaign’s hub on NCLR’s website also features more info about the families featured in the PSA, including the full text of their letters.

“The families in our campaign, like so many other families with transgender children, are proof that helping transgender youth get medically needed care can enable them to lead happy and successful lives,” NCLR legal director Shannon Minter said in a statement. “Still, many legislators continue to push harmful policies that prevent these young people from getting the healthcare they need and deserve. We’re working to take action against these bills and show the politicians behind them that transgender youth and their families are not alone.”