For as long as I can remember, my sister was a tomboy. Her first sentence at the age of two was, 'I don't want the dress.' She grew up wearing baseball caps and playing the latest video games with our male neighbors. She could beat anyone at Super Smash Brothers and even played in local tournaments. My family and I always knew that she was different but we loved every single little quirk and bit of uniqueness that came with her.
Fast forward to high school. My mom never wanted my sister to be ostracized in any way shape or form by her peers. She didn't allow my sister to cut off all her hair or to wear boy clothes to school. My sister struggled with trying to be girly and knew it just wasn't the right fit. She suffered from depression and the amount of stress that was on her from her rigorous classes. But, she managed ti get up everyday and go to school even in her darkest of times.
Her junior year of high school my family and I got the shock of our lives. My sister Annie came out as transgender. Looking back on her life we always knew she was a tomboy and loved boy things, so we always thought she'd be a 'butch lesbian' to put it in somewhat of a crass way but it is the only way to describe the future we had pictured for her. Annie sat down with my parents and told them she was transgender. She wanted to become a boy and would like to go by Andy. My family and I went through a grief period to mourn the loss of a daughter and sister, but rejoiced that I now had a brother. Immediately he became happier, more outgoing and didn't shy away from social situations any longer. He was who he was meant to be and that is so beautiful.
Being the sibling of a transgender individual, I have followed the stories of states passing bans on transgender individuals using the bathroom of their choice and to have the simple rights all humans deserve. It has made me angry, sick and made me ask how Jim Crowe type laws have come back after we learned the lesson that segregating or discriminating against a group of people is unconstitutional. People are using the Bible to hate and that is not okay. Everyone has a right to their beliefs and opinions, but that does not give you the right to go out and hate innocent human beings. People are up in arms about transgender individuals using the bathroom of their choice. They are not going in there to harm you or to harm your family. They are using the restroom to simply do what us heterosexuals do: to do their buisness and leave. I would understand people's outcry if transgender people we re attacking others, but to date that is not the case.
My brother is an amazing person. He will start at UCF in the fall an has an array of majors he's considering. He wants to do everything from nuclear engineering to political science. He got accepted to every school he applied to and had amazing grades and SAT scores. I am so beyond proud to call him my brother. You amaze me everyday with your courage and the want to stand up for those who cannot. Andy, may you never lose yourself and always stay true to you. All your friends and family love you.
