I often avoid political topics for fear of seeming partial to one side or another, but I have to applaud Georgia senators for the advancement of SB 140, which would prohibit surgical procedures and hormone therapies for transgender minors. 

I know most people will see this as another way for the government to control the bodies of American citizens, but minors deserve that protection. 

When I was a kid, I thought many things that are entirely different from my current beliefs. Looking back, I am so thankful that no one took my words or actions too seriously and labeled me as anyone other than Jill. 

My dad always wanted a kid to take to the NASCAR races with him. Unfortunately, he and my mom had two girls. He didn’t care though. The first outfit my dad purchased for me was a Rusty Wallace NASCAR uniform in a boys youth large. 

On weekends my mom was out of town, or days when she had to be somewhere, my dad would dress me in that outfit and I would introduce myself as Rusty Wallace. 

People may have confused me as a boy raised by hillbillies, because if you weren’t aware Rusty Wallace was the driver for the Miller Lite car. 

Thankfully, during that time, no one thought anything of it. It was just a girl dressing up in an outfit her dad bought. 

As I continued to grow older, I really loved the Land Before Time. I must’ve watched every VHS tape available. I especially loved the baby dinosaur named Chomper. I informed my parents that I couldn’t wait to have a son and name him Chomper. Again, that was a child speaking- a child with a vivid imagination. I have no intention of having a son named Chomper today. 

How does this relate to transgender minors? 

The fact is children are imaginative and change their minds constantly. They may dress up in clothes that aren’t made for them, they may even name themselves something different, but because their brains aren’t fully developed, they may not feel the same way in years to come or even the next week. 

As I continued to grow older, I really began to become more self-aware of my image. I disliked my physical attributes and slowly changed them. I began with the most basic of dying my hair. 

As I grew into an adult, I made more drastic changes, undergoing cosmetic surgery, getting botox and fixing my teeth. 

I’m not ashamed of any of those things, because I truly thought they would make me happier and more confident in myself and maybe they did temporarily, but they never brought about the permanent happiness I thought they would. 

If these kids still want physical changes when they are adults, who am I to stop them? I made physical changes. 

But, I warn them that if they aren’t happy with what’s on the inside then then no amount of surgical procedures or hormone therapies will fix whatever is happening. 

I may not understand their decisions, just as they may not understand mine, but I feel that once their brain is fully developed and can comprehend that these changes are irreversible, then it’s up to them. 

I thank the senators for seeing this also, and realizing this isn’t preventing the surgery all together, but it’s protecting kids who may not realize the full extent of their life-altering decisions.