Janna Barkin champions transgender rights
Janna Barkin 88 wasnt surprised when 14-year-old Amaya told her he was a boy. For years, Amaya refused to wear girls clothing, wanted to shop in the boys section, wore a short haircut and had chosen the nickname Spike.
A lot of parents are shocked when a child comes out, but I wasnt, Barkin says. I was knocking and saying, Please let me in. I knew Amaya was going to show me something, but I didnt know when.
At 11, his breasts got big very fast. His outer body was changing in a way that didnt match his inner understanding of himself. He wasnt able to describe how he felt, but got to a point where he had to do something.
In her book Hes Always Been My Son (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), Barkin recounts the journey of raising a transgender son. The yoga instructor from Northern California is a champion for transgender rights and identity. She speaks at events and on radio shows across the country.
Trans men come to me and are sometimes crying because they dont have support, she says. Before they talk about whats in my book, they say how much the title alone means to them.
Though Barkin has courageously shared her familys story, she admits it was easier because she lives in a progressive community. She fears for those who live in more conservative environments.
My family has privileges: racial, educational, economic. Im white and Im cisgender. Amaya is binary male. Because Im not a reflection of the most marginalized parts of society, I can speak humbly and give a voice to those who cant speak up.
Amaya has fully transitioned and is a college junior living on his own. Last fall, Barkin shared her story at 勛圖腦瞳扦s LGBTQ Center. She appreciated the opportunity to raise awareness at a place that raised her consciousness.
I was politically active at the Womens Center, she says. I thank Binghamton for providing a space for so many student groups to interact. The conversation about gender is extremely potent. How do we respect each other when many of us have different ideas? Hopefully, universities like Binghamton are where we can have this discourse.