LGBTQ+Day+At+The+Vermont+State+House

Zee Totten LGBTQ Day At The Vermont State House. On Thursday March 16 2017 along with about forty other LGBTQ youth and adult chaperones I went to the Vermont State House for the Queer and Trans youth leadership day. I had the pleasure of testifying in front of the House Education Committee about things I would change in Vermont schools for LGBTQ students. I also got to sit in on the house floor for about thirty minutes with the other youth and adults; we got introduced by Legislator Bill Lippert who represents Hinesburg town who is one of the founders of Outright Vermont and is an openly gay legislator it’s nice to know that there are LGBTQ legistrators in the State House. I also got to sit in and listen in on the House Healthcare Committee and testify on the new bill HB.230 that says that queer and trans youth can receive mental health counselling without parental consent this is important to know that LGBTQ youth who haven’t come out yet are able to receive counseling so that they don't feel alone and have no one to talk to. For our closing I spoke a short paragraph that I wrote for this specific day that I was supposed to read on March 15 for the house devotional but, because of bad weather, I didn’t get the opportunity to speak in front of the House of Representatives but in front of the LGBTQ youth and chaperones that came to this special day.

I had heard of the word transgender but never truly understood what it meant until sixth grade came along and I was thrown from the safety of elementary school into the wild world of middle school I learned three things about myself last year one never trust people who tell your secrets that are really personal, two I’m not a girl and I never was, and three my parents love me no matter what happens because they care that I feel safe and loved for who I am. Now I’m thirteen and have an amazing support system of friends and my parents right behind me.