Abbie Sedgeman
Staff Writer
When becoming a parent for the first time, many new parents begin with only one concept: love and accept their children, no matter what. Jeff and Hillary Whittington have shown YouTube how this is done in an inspiring 7 minute video, presented originally at the sixth annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast.
“One of the most inspiring things that Harvey Milk had done as far as our family is concerned,” said Jeff Whittington, as reported by LGBT Weekly, “was to encourage people to come out; to let their voices be heard; break down the walls, break down the barriers and start allowing people to see them for their authentic selves and be true to themselves, and this is our coming out … this is us making our voices heard …”
As the couple’s first child, Ryland, was approaching her first birthday, they found out she was deaf and endured a lot of hard work after subsequent cochlear implants to ensure their daughter was able to talk and listen. However, with that newfound ability to talk, Ryland began to scream ‘I’m a boy,’ and pulled away from anything feminine.
In the beginning, Ryland’s actions were put down to ‘being a phase’ and despite only being five years old, she began to feel shame. The Whittington’s researched and sought professional advice, but it all linked to one conclusion: Ryland was transgender, and they helped him to properly express his true self.
In a statement to The Huffington Post, the family said, “We are overwhelmed with the kind, loving messages from many people. While this journey has been difficult at times, we have come to a place where our family is ready to come out and try to help other families facing similar situations. Our hope is that by sharing our story, we can begin to make the world a more loving place where people can be their authentic selves.”
You can watch the truly wonderful video below.
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