Readers React: What a transgender 9-year-old girl can teach North Carolina lawmakers

To the editor: Kudos for the article about “T,” the 9-year-old girl who’s transitioning. It was both well-written and sensitive. (“A transgender 9-year-old tells her story,” May 16)

The article addresses how Los Angeles Unified School District staffers had to be trained on how to deal with T; it appears the adults are handling this well. Unfortunately, it also appears there are all sorts of politicians, such as those in North Carolina, who also need training.

The article reports that one of T’s classmates didn’t understand what being transgender meant; T suggested that the friend Google it. By the next day, the friend and her grandmother had done so and educated themselves.

It’s a shame that the Legislature and governor in North Carolina couldn’t figure out how to do the same before passing a law discriminating against transgender people. They could learn an awful lot from a child, especially how to accept someone who’s a bit different than they are.

Emery Galambos, Los Angeles