Parents Write Newspaper Birth Announcement to Show Acceptance of Teen Transgender Son
19 years after posting news of the birth of a daughter, an Australian couple issues a loving retraction: It's a Boy!
When a young transgender man came out to his parents, they welcomed him with open arms in the wittiest, most endearing way possible: With a “birth” announcement that’s sweeping social media.
Nearly 20 years after they became parents to a baby girl, Yolanda Bogert and Guy Kershaw took out a second notice in Australia’s The Courier-Mail, writing:
“In 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget, Elizabeth Anne, as a daughter. He informs us that we were mistaken. Oops! Our bad. We would now like to present, our wonderful son – Kai Bogert.”
The supportive parents wrapped up their succinct sentiments telling Bogert, “Loving you is the easiest thing in the world,” before adding a reminder: “Tidy your room.”
Kai’s mother, Yolanda, told The Courier-Mail Tuesday that printing the correction was “a no-brainer.”
“I needed to show my son I support him 100 percent and wanted to let the world know that,” she said. “It is all very new to us. Kai just told me a few days ago that he no longer wanted to live as a girl.”
As for his parents’ easy acceptance, Kai was initially surprised – and grateful.
“This week has changed everything for me,” he told the paper, adding he’s still discovering himself. “I have not had any hormones or made any decisions about gender reassignment Nothing like that yet. These are early days, but so far I have never been happier.
“I am still me, but I am more me than I was a few days ago and feel free.”