[Parents addressing a transgender son]

You have been very firm in continuing to put yourself first; however, we have not put ourselves, our family, or our marriage first. You may have heard this from us before: we did not get married to have you; you are a result of our love and marriage. We must begin to put ourselves, our marriage, and our health first after so long.

We are not able to continue the emotional toll this has taken on our family and must make the unfortunate and truly heartbreaking decision to sever our ties.

Please begin to explore options for alternate housing during all breaks, including this Spring break and Summer. Additionally, it is fortunate that you are being paid very well for your research work for it will now need to be used for your college expenses including tuition, room and board, books, groceries, and personal expenses. We will continue to keep you on our health care through the end of this month. You may stay on the family plan for your phone until such time as you decide that it is another expense to take on. However, we will not be able to continue your coverage on our car insurance as we cannot have you as a liability when you are on testosterone and subject to its unpredictable effect on your cognitive and emotional state.

Lastly, if you have any items in the house that you want, please let us know in advance and we will have them ready for pick up at the door in a bag.

We are heartbroken and grieving that it has come to this—our worst nightmare is to no longer have you in our lives. However, we have put you first for so long that we cannot proceed any further. It is time for us to move forward with our lives. While you may not see it right now or for a very long time, we love you more than you know and will never stop loving, hoping, and praying for you.

We long for the day when we can welcome you back—with open arms and hearts—to our family as our daughter.