Gender affirming care is a personal decision. One that is carefully thought out, moment by moment with families and their health care providers. In 2023, life changed for our family. We had been methodically following our child each step of the way. Following his lead, listening to our health care professionals with the upmost care, and doing our research. As any parent, you want the absolute best for your child and will do whatever is needed to best care for and love your child. Suddenly, our senators decided that they knew what was best for our child. They decided that our years of love and care, as well as the health care professionals trained with years of schooling and best medical practice, could not be trusted with private medical decisions. They deemed themselves the experts rather than trusting the numerous medical associations who determined gender affirming care to be best practice. Their decision to pass laws against gender affirming care have taken away our rights to healthcare decisions with our child, healthcare decisions that parents of cisgender children can still make in this state. Gender affirming care should be a personal decision not a political one.
Art has always been an important part of my therapeutic process. It allows me to tap into those vulnerable spaces gaining a deeper understanding of myself and the challenges I meet in life. Collaging has helped me navigate the layers of feelings I have experienced in these last few years with our state legislature. I begin with collecting images that speak to some part of me. I don’t always know why I am drawn to the image when I gather it, but I collect them in piles knowing that one day they will become part of a new story meant for my understanding. Collaging becomes a very spiritual process for me as I cut and layer image upon image letting it guide the story. Once it is complete, I sit down with a paper and pen to gain what knowledge it has for me. Writing from the image helps me to understand and process my emotions, to listen to what messages it holds for me.
