Disclaimer:
Let me start out with stating if you have clicked on this post then please to stay committed and fully read the whole thing, eventually it will all start to make sense. I have not posted this to offend anyone, in any way. I am trying my best to fully understand myself, and am still learning the correct terminology so please do not get upset if I do not word things correctly. Also I am not trying to sway your opinion on the matter, just simply trying to tell you my story, nor shove my beliefs down your throat. I am just a 22 year old young woman trying to share a light on personal experience, so do not think this post will be perfect by any means.
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I have thought about writing this post numerous times. Scared I may start a war on my social media I deferred, kept my thoughts inside, and held my tongue. With the recent Vanity Fair release of Caitlyn Jenner, formally known as Bruce, I can't help but think this is the perfect time to really speak up.
When I was three years of age my little sister was born, Hayley. I was so thrilled to have a sister and new friend, but growing up I quickly noticed she really wasn't like me, at all. She was not into barbies, and baby dolls, she was much more into dump trucks and playing in the dirt. At such a young age it really didn't matter to me, as we grew up she was more of the tom boy and I the girly girl. That was okay! She always was a happy child, would walk up to strangers anywhere and strike up a conversation like they were her friend. Nothing scared her, nor could dull her brightness. In high school she started experimenting more with makeup, asking for advice on clothing, and even had a long serious relationship with a guy. Yet slowly my family started to see the light in her fade, she quit the Soccer team, turned to dark music, lost tons of weight, and her relationship ended. Dismissing these, what now we see as warning signs, my family continued to hope she would change back to the old Hayley she once was.
In September of 2012 I received a call stating that my baby sister had tried to commit suicide, but failed. Confused and heartbroken my family came to her side trying to do as much as we could. She was placed in a hospital where doctors could watch and monitor her well being. Once striped of all the normal clothing I took notice to her bone thin body and something inside me woke up. This is a person, with a heart beat, who has been hurting for 18 years. Torn up inside with no one to talk to, who just wanted to end her life. How could we all be so blind to the pain she was feeling? I decided I would be there for her no matter what the outcome may be, I would support her in any and everything.
In a confused state in her life she started to question if she was truly being honest with us as well as herself. She had pushed thoughts she had deep into the darkest parts of herself, because she didn't know what was truly going on within her. Once she discovered that there was such thing as Transgender she started to piece the puzzle together. As things started to unfold in the years to follow, Hayley admitted to us that she had always felt very wrong in her body. Hayley is transgender, she was born as a girl, but her soul is male. Although my family is Christian, and we have been raised to love all others and judge no one, that does not mean that this news was easy for us to understand. When you have lived with someone for 18 years as a girl who is wanting to transition into male it is a hard adjustment. My sister is still my sister, she is now just a better version of herself. She is now transitioning into he. I still catch myself calling her "her" and "she" but she is no longer Hayley, but Hurley. She is now becoming my brother.
The whole issue I have with people commenting hateful things about Caitlyn Jenner is I am taking these comments straight to my heart, because my sibling is Transgender, and any comment you make about Caitlyn I put towards my brother and the transgender community. People who are Christian are not doing well by their beliefs, God has told us to love thy neighbor. He says do not judge unless you have no sin, we all have sins therefor we are in no position to judge any one. These are people, they are still human beings with feelings and a heart. We as Christians need to show more love towards the LGBT community, because God has told us to love all others. More than 50% of Transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday. Everyone deserves to be happy, why does it matter to you if Bruce Jenner is now Caitlyn, shouldn't it matter that she is no longer suffering and hurting. My brother is now enjoying the life he always wanted, happier than he ever was as a girl.
What Caitlyn Jenner has done is heroic. By doing what she has done so publicly she has reached millions of people, some of who are young teens considering suicide, teens who are going through the same feelings my little sister was going through. If Caitlyn has just saved one person from ending their life I'd call her a hero, but she did more than that. She has helped family's of transgender children as well, and she helped me.
