A boy in bright blue glasses sits on his mother’s lap and looks at himself in the mirror. His mom smiles, waiting for him to repeat an affirmation she wrote especially for him.
“I know who I am,” he says, voice brimming with confidence.
The mother-son pair are part of a heartwarming new video that features parents sharing inspirational statements they wrote for their transgender kids, encouraging self-love and self-acceptance. The two-minute short, which is the second installment of The Scene‘s “Affirmations” series, shows how important it is for trans children to receive support, love, and encouragement from their parents.
“I am hope,” one girl repeats after her mother.
“I get back up,” another child says.
“Even if it doesn’t feel true — remember, that’s what an affirmation is,” one woman tells her son. “We say something because we want to work on feeling good about ourselves.”
Image: The Scene/YouTube
Parental support is particularly important for transgender youth, who experience an overwhelming amount of discrimination and bias. And fostering confidence is crucial for kids who are often told their identities aren’t valid.
According to national research, 75 percent of transgender youth in the U.S. feel unsafe at school because of their identity. A staggering 40 percent of the entire homeless youth population is LGBTQ, with family rejection as the primary cause. Approximately 45 percent of transgender youth have attempted suicide.
Simply put, the parents in this video have it right — and their affirmations prove it.
