Chicago — It is estimated that 1.6 million Americans ages 13 and older identify as transgender.
One local teen said her family has supported her journey since she told them she was a nine-year-old girl.
“By the time I turned nine, I was still feeling more feminine, more drawn to stereotypical girly things. And before fifth grade, I said to my dad, ‘Mom, dad, I’m not just a boy who likes girly things.'” I am a girl “.” remembers Chazy Groschandler.
After she spoke those words, she said her mom, dad, siblings, and older brother Liv embraced and celebrated her identity.
“I became emotional, but I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to witness her become the person she is and to be able to take inspiration from that and have her make me a better person as her older brother,” her brother Liv said.
“As soon as I was two, even if I didn’t have the words for it, I knew for sure that I was more feminine than masculine. I would always put the T-shirts over my head as if it were hair and I would wear them to the store or to the park, or even sleep with them,” Shazy said.
But that doesn’t mean it was easy to tell her parents she’s transgender.
“I think I was really scared right now, because I was getting to the truth about who I was, and for me, I kept it for so long because I was so worried,” she said. “I thought to myself, what if my family doesn’t love me for who I really am?”
“We took a deep breath, believed her and told her we loved her and told her we were going to help her have the best life ever,” said her father, John.
“I can tell you that every single one of Chazy’s aunts, uncles, grandparents, my friends, there is support and unconditional love,” said her mom, Jennifer.
Grosshandler family co-founder GenderCool Project. Jerah Goldstein, a local trans woman is another co-founder.
“Transgender and non-binary people don’t choose whether they are trans or non-binary, what they choose is whether or not they share that fact with others,” Goldstein said.
GenderCool is a national programme, helping millions of people understand that transgender and non-binary children are the same as all children; They have talents, hobbies, dreams and career goals.
“The most important thing when I’m old is to be a news anchor. And to study journalism,” Shazy said. “I just love telling and writing stories about all kinds of things that are going on in the world. In my high school, I’m part of my school’s broadcast club where I anchor in both English and Spanish. I’m a junior in high school now and I’m thriving.”
Chazy said she hopes to be here one day on the set of ABC7 or another TV station. She also said she hopes to see more anchors and reporters on television.
You can hear more from Chazzie and other transgender teens involved with the GenderCool Project on file ABC special “Who Should I Be”. It’s streaming right now on Hulu. It will also air on ABC7 Chicago on Sundays at 4 p.m
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https://abc13.com/transgender-trans-chicago-teens-the-gendercool-project/13329044/
