Sickened over column

I’m writing in response to Steve Massey’s article “Christians must offer compassion, not acceptance, of transgenderism.” I was sickened and dismayed to read such hateful, misinformed and openly bigoted garbage in my hometown newspaper in 2017.

I am a teacher in Spokane Public Schools, and the idea of my trans and gender nonconforming students waking up to find this article on their doorstep is devastating. An article like this has power.

It’s extremely unfortunate The Spokesman Review used this opportunity to spread hate and misinformation rather than to uplift and inform. How is there any merit in Massey’s condemnation of parents who support their trans kids? His position is made even more sickening when, within paragraphs, he mentions the staggering incidence of suicide among transgender people.

Does Massey not realize that societal hate and ignorance like this is largely responsible for that statistic?

Next time, please consider hiring a transgender person to write an article on this subject.

And to any transgender kids out there who may have read that article, you are perfect. You are loved. You are meant to be here. And there is a whole community out there just waiting to embrace you.

Stephanie Oakes

Spokane