My baby and my grandbabies are being taken away.
My dad's words were so bad they almost destroyed me. He was holding back tears even though we were talking. He has always been a tough guy, but he wasn't prepared to hear that his first born child, daughter-in-law and grandsons were moving across the country in order to find a safer place to raise their family.
Texas' roots are deep. We were both born and raised in Texas. My wife was born in Fort Worth and I was born in Robstown. When the opportunity arose for us to move back to Texas after a short time in Colorado, we took it.
We wanted our children to have the same experiences we had when we lived in Texas.
Since starting a family, we have dealt with the complexity of being a Black LGBTQ parent in Texas. We weren't allowed to go to doctors' offices or adoption agencies. "But which one of you is the mom?" has been posed to us by nosey neighbors, school administrators and even agents at the passport office.
Our guests were told about gay marriage inequality. It was in the past.
The leader of the teachers union said that the attack on teachers has never been as bad.
Our validity as parents and as a family has been questioned and minimized many times, as if we are playing a game of house with no legal rights or privileges. It was just something we had to deal with for a while. It feels almost impossible and unsafe lately.
Texas lawmakers attacked trans youth last year with bills that would prevent gender-affirming care and restrict trans student athletes from participating on teams that align with their gender identity
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The Texas governor ordered the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate parents who provide medically necessary gender-affirming care to their trans children.
Florida has a "Don't Say Gay or Trans" law that would effectively keep discussions of families like mine out of my children's classroom.
We have watched the anti-gay rhetoric spill out from the elected officials. People who have trans kids are being reported as neighbors who have anti-gay protesters in their neighborhood.
As the CEO of Family Equality, the leading national organization for LGBTQ families, I have heard from so many families who are facing the near impossible reality of needing to flee their home state in order to find a safer place for their children. I am thankful that my family is able to leave the state, but I can't help but think about those who are left behind. Many families wish to go and can't because they fear for their safety or their child will be taken away, but feel trapped due to financial constraints or other circumstances.
It is not easy for people who have the means to leave. We have to travel back and forth to make it work since my wife is in Dallas. We are leaving our trusted network of family members and friends we can call on at a moment's notice to help us navigate the latest scheduling change or travel conflict because my family is leaving the only home we've ever really known.
People who called them "groomers" should apologize.
Texas is targeting inappropriate books. I have a list of what to ban.
I want our sacrifice to be worth it. As our boys start third grade at a new school in a new community, I hope they can focus on learning instead of being reprimanded for thinking they have a dad.
I hope that on the playground, they can talk about their family adventures with no fear of being shamed, silenced or punished for doing so. I hope I can walk down the street holding my wife's hand without fear, and I hope that the people with the power to shape our day-to-day lives understand they work for everyone.
As my family settles in to Washington, D.C., I know that we will get to work. It will take all of us voting, contacting our elected officials, sharing our story and supporting organizations like Family Equality to create a world where all families are respected and protected.
Future families don't have to go through what my family did if we achieve true family equality.
Family Equality is a national organization dedicated to advancement of lived and legal equality for current and future families of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer community. She lives with her family in D.C.
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