Tom Sosnik Comes Out As Transgender

Let’s end the week — or start the next week, depending upon how you roll — with a fabulous story …

Tom Sosnik is just 13-years-old, but he may be the most well-spoken teenager ever. See, Tom is transgender, and after he’d heard the news of the suicide of transgender teen Leelah Alcorn [see my posts HERE and HERE], he wanted to share his story:

“For a while, I dismissed the fact that I hated my body. I pretended to be content with what I was assigned until, at a certain point, I broke. For some of you this may come as a shock, and for others, well, you knew or you thought that I was transgender. Well here’s your reassurance: I am no longer Mia. I never really was. And now I finally stand before you in my true and authentic gender identity as Tom. I stand before you as a thirteen-year-old boy."

I can’t imagine the courage it took to stand up and tell his story, and I am amazed at the reason why he spoke: he wanted his classmates to talk to him, or their parents, about what it means to be transgender, and not just resort to ridiculous name-calling or gossip:

"I really hope that you all will support my decision to embark on a harder route in life as the boy I truly am. Any form of support I receive with much gratitude and I hope that everyone can really support me because you guys are like my second family. And if you support me, I'll feel like the luckiest boy in the world. Thank you for letting me share my story."

It takes a brave soul, a fearless soul, a happy-at-last soul, to share his story the way Tom Sosnik did, and it makes me feel especially good this Sunday morning.

Here’s Tom’s speech in full:

sources:

HuffPo
YouTube
Refinery 29 [picture]