Letter of Babylin Evangelista to haters, following the Manny Pacquiao debacle.
To my FB friends,
As many of you know, one of my children, Jet, is a trans woman. The difference between being gay and trans is still confusing to me but she says she is trans and so I will respect that.
I am a parent. My love for my children, though different in the ways I express it to them, is equal and without any prejudice to whom they choose to love. As parents, we mutually understand the love that we have for our children. Your love for your “straight” children is no greater than the love I have for my trans daughter.
I take pride in my trans daughter. She was a good student. She now volunteers for an LGBT-caused organization. It warms my heart to think of the honor and the support she provides us. Having said this, even without the honor she gave us, I would have loved her just the same.
If you were blessed with gay (or trans) children, would you turn your back on them? Would you, as a parent, allow that they are not enjoying the same rights and privileges as everyone else does? Would you treat them that they are less human beings than your other children?
I take offense in anti-LGBT posts I see in my timeline. As a parent who has nothing but love in my heart for my trans daughter, and in due respect to your freedom to expression, I beg you to please unfriend me if you will make your anti-LGBT sentiments public. Because they hurt me. Because I can imagine the harsh words being thrown right at my own child, and I would not be able to stand it.
But most importantly, let’s think like a parent and think of our children. I believe that the best we can leave our kids with is a kinder and a more compassionate future.
