The Week that Was - 2017-04-02

In between the screaming, the fighting, and the tantrums, I'm able to capture some fun moments in the life of our family.

Sorry to lead with the "bad" parts of parenthood. Those only account for 2-5% of our time together. We're so ridiculously lucky to have two kids that are healthy and who get along with each other so much of the time. I'm also ridiculously lucky to have a partner like Sara who is such an incredible mother who helps me be a better person every day.

As the weather has hotted-up, we're eating our weight in vegan, gluten-free ice cream (damn you food sensitivities; and bless you Sweet Ritual!), we've planted our spring garden with plants from the fantastic Red Barn Garden Center, Taters did his first belly flop, and the lizards have started to watch me from the office window.

Here's to more amazing weeks!

Photography Celebrating Transgender Texan Families: Fareen and Sebastian

What a wonderful morning with Sebastian, Fareen, and their wonderful daughter! We played on rocks, we played in the creek, we splashed, and there was tons of love!

Fareen and Sebastian are a queer couple living in Austin, and they absolutely love each other and their awesome daughter. Fareen is a cisgender Desi Muslim woman, Sebastian is a transgender Puerto Rican Catholic man. As I hope is clear from the pictures, these fantastic people just want to be who they are and love who they love. They're putting so much good out into the world!

In Texas, SB6 is a bathroom bill aimed at making going to the bathroom as difficult, and potentially scary, as possible for trans people. The bill is making it's way through the state legislature in a brutal, inhumane, and uncompromising manner despite hours and hours of testimony into the early morning on the damage and stigmatization that the bill will cause.

Some stats from 2015:

• Gender reassignment surgery can cost $15,500

• 41% of transgender people have attempted suicide

• 19% of transgender people have experienced violence or abuse from a family member 

• 26% of people have lost a job due to their identity

• As of 2015 only 18 states had clear laws protecting transgender people

If you live in Texas, call on your representatives to strike down this heinous and bigoted legislation. Put laws on the books protecting amazing families and individuals like Sebastian and Fareen!