This is the story of a young man named Ezra, who was just 18 years old and already facing a challenging situation many of us will never have to face. Let’s take a look.
Guardianship Challenges
Ezra was a trans man, which means he identified as male even though he was assigned female at birth.
He had a half-brother named Matthew, who was only nine years old. Because of some serious issues with their mother and stepfather, Ezra became Matthew’s guardian.
Now, Matthew’s behavior was causing Ezra a lot of stress. Just a couple of days ago, while Ezra was driving Matthew home from school, something happened that really upset him.
Misgendering Pain
Matthew said something hurtful to Ezra. He told Ezra that he was actually a girl because he could have babies.
This was hard for Ezra to hear. He knew he was a boy and tried to explain that to Matthew, but Matthew kept saying that Ezra was a girl. It was like Matthew didn’t understand or didn’t want to understand.
The worst part was that Matthew wouldn’t stop telling everyone that Ezra was his sister. He would even say it loudly to people they met.
This was a big problem for Ezra because he wanted to be recognized as a boy, not a girl. It hurt him a lot when Matthew kept calling him his sister and made Ezra feel stressed and upset.
Overwhelmed by Stress
On top of all this, Ezra had another challenge – he was 26 weeks pregnant.
But after the incident with Matthew, Ezra felt like he couldn’t handle everything anymore.
When he was alone in his room, he had a breakdown. He realized that he was struggling to deal with Matthew’s behavior.
Even though Matthew had only been living with Ezra for a short time – less than two months – Ezra was already feeling like he had enough. It was tough for him to admit this.
Contemplating a Tough Decision
Ezra felt so many emotions. He felt guilty for thinking about giving up custody of Matthew.
But he was also angry at Matthew for making his life so difficult. He knew that Matthew was just a child, but his actions were causing Ezra a lot of pain.
It was becoming hard for Ezra to look at Matthew without feeling angry and resentful. Ezra knew he needed help.
He was talking to a therapist, but he was also talking to legal experts to understand what he could do next. It was a big decision, but Ezra was seriously thinking about giving up custody of Matthew.
Breaking Point
He felt like he was at a breaking point and didn’t want to be constantly stressed and miserable.
Ezra wanted people to understand that he wasn’t a bad person. He was going through a tough time and trying to do what was best for himself and Matthew.
He was feeling so many emotions – sadness, anger, and frustration. He had cried a lot in the past two days, more than he had in a long time.
He had moved out of his parent’s house to escape problems, but now he faced a new challenge with his little brother.
Challenges of Trans Pregnancy
Ezra was unsure about what to do next. He was looking for advice and support, so he turned to the Reddit community.
He wanted to know if he was wrong for considering giving up custody of Matthew. It was a challenging situation, and he was feeling lost.
Redditors weighed in on Ezra’s complex situation with empathy and understanding. They recognized his challenges as a trans individual and a guardian to his brother.
Many empathized with the fact that being trans is a tough journey, made even more complex by having an unsupportive family and being pregnant on top of that.
“Be Forgiving!”
However, they disapproved of his decision to give up custody of Matthew.
One user said, “He’s 9, had a rough childhood, he’s still a little child. You are pregnant; you are growing a baby. Biological female functions, you don’t identify as female. Fair enough, but that’s a pretty big thing for a 9 yr old to wrap their head around. Be forgiving to the little dude and yourself. Focus on the love, and try to end days on a quiet good note, and with an I love you.”
His Brother’s Trauma
Other users said that Ezra would be wrong if he followed through with his plans to give up custody. “I sympathize with you but that poor boy being tossed around is going to be traumatizing for him as well.”
An unexpected update on the situation arrived a few days after the original post, and it was a positive one.
Matthew returned home from school and offered a heartfelt apology. It turns out his earlier hurtful behavior was due to anger.
An Optimistic Future
A classmate had teased him for not having both parents around. Ezra, understanding the pain all too well, accepted the apology and apologized in turn.
Now, they’re on the path of healing, with their first joint therapy session coming up. Ezra loves his brother and is optimistic about the future. A happy ending, after all.
What do you think about this story? What would you do if you were in Ezra’s place?
The post He’s Pregnant and Considering Terminating Guardianship of Little Bro for Misgendering Him first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Andrii Iemelianenko
Source: Reddit