Scott is a trans boy. He knew this by heart even if his parents told him he was a girl. Even if they made him wear frilly pink dresses. Even if they make him go to an all girls middle school. He was always sure of what he wanted, despite parents and peers telling him he couldn't have it.
"No one was going to tell me I couldn't do it. No one was going to tell me that my needs were less valid than anyone else's. No one," Scott said.
Even still, Scott went through so many hard years in middle school. The 8th grade. The 6th grade. He wasn't accepted, nor were his needs always met. He kept growing and changing, and being told that he couldn't make the switch didn't help.
"I decided to be a high school freshman and hide my identity for half a year. When I told my parents, I was so relieved to be able to express my true self to them," Scott said.
As someone who identified as trans before the term existed, it took many years before Scott was comfortable enough to tell his parents. His mother, when asked why she accepted Scott as her son, said, "I feel we have been down this road together, and I knew you weren't a person who would transition. You loved me no matter what, so I chose to love you."
She continued, "I believe what makes my son happy is more important than what anyone else wants. What will make him happy is not what makes me happy. I get to support him unconditionally."
The question parents often ask themselves when faced with the decision of whether to accept their child's trans identity is: how is that best for them? For some, it is by throwing away years of family time, or rushing to place their child in a school that understands. For others, acceptance is best not forced.