I preside over the crossover docket in Austin, Texas. This docket, designed for children who are dually involved in the juvenile justice system and child welfare (or dependency) system at the same time, is fraught with stories of abandonment, sex trafficking of minors, and trauma of all kinds. Children on this docket must grapple with the pain of feeling let down by their parents while finding the strength to take responsibility for their own criminal actions and move forward. While these tasks alone might seem insurmountable for most young people, two amazing young ladies on this docket have faced an added challenge on this journey — the difficulty of struggling with their gender identity.

Judge Darlene Byrne.

I have long been aware of how difficult life can be for transgender persons, but lately our society’s hostility and lack of tolerance seem inescapable. Texas passed a law this year that allows religious foster agencies to refuse to serve foster parents or foster children who are transgender, if their transgender status would violate the agency’s “sincerely held religious beliefs.” And recently, our Texas legislature considered a bill that would require transgender people, including kids over 10, to use the bathroom that coincides with the sex on their birth certificate, not the one that aligns with their gender identity. Our nation’s President chimed in on the rhetoric, asserting his opinion on Twitter that transgender persons should be banned from serving our country in the military.

In the midst of our too-often hostile world, through my crossover docket, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Denise* and Lily*, both of whom are now seventeen year old young ladies.

Lily and I have known each other for six years. When we first met, I knew her as a scared young child of 11, who had been accused of a crime. Lily, still presenting as a boy named Lyle*, was very small for her age and for years was picked on for her size and described as immature for her age.

During Lily’s time with me on the crossover docket, she had 13 placements, had her parents’ rights to her terminated, identified as gay, and just recently identified as female and changed her name. Lily’s grandmother stood by her from the beginning even though her grandmother was unable to serve as the placement for Lily because every time she was in non-secure or less structured environment she would reoffend.

The challenges for Lily have been great over the years but this recent and new discovery about her true gender identity has provided her a platform to move forward. She is more self-assured, more at ease with herself, has a new direction for herself and has her grandmother by her side. For the last year she has been transitioning out of her juvenile justice secure placement into a less restrictive setting and has not reoffended. When it first came to light in a court hearing that Lily identified as female, the revelation seemed obvious to everyone who knew her. Now her court team can help her on her journey in life with the right services and activities to help her realize her dreams. Lily has expressed that she was inspired by Geena Rocero’s TED Talk about being a successful fashion model and transgender person and advocate. During much of Geena’s life, she too hid her transgender status.