FOSTERING AND TRANS

 Our transitioning foster son is doing great, all things considered.

Yeah, he's doing great, it's the people who are using the issue of transitioning as a political football who are doing not so well.

When the government were recently described as a "parcel of rogues" in the House of Commons, the reference was entirely about ill-gotten wealth.

Shame, because roguery comes in many forms, and one face of rougery is that of increasing the pain of a suffering child to win votes, win power.

I can hardly believe that the entire future of the United Kingdom is going to be decided by transitioning.

But it's set to be so.

Look; this isn't a political blog, but when politicians and those members of the public who like to get agitated gang up and have a negative impact on my fostering of a vulnerable child…

I have no option but to have my say.

So; Scotland has voted to allow people aged 16 to choose which gender they are. And the UK government is over-ruling them. There's going to be a big bean-fight England v Scotland with Scotland looking for ways to leave the UK.

And the issue, instead of things such as the economy or public services or national defence…

…is transitioning.

Well bully for all of them, they've found their perfect bone to fight over.

Except for one wee factor.

Every time it comes up on the news, on the internet feeds, on social media, it hurls my kid into turmoil.

It feels to him like they are honing in on his painful life and trying to dictate the solitary thing he has ownership of, namely who he is.

Here he is, in fostering. In a strange home, unfamiliar surroundings, eating and talking with strangers. He has ownership of nothing except himself. 

He believes with utter conviction he knows who he is, and nobody else possibly could.

It should be a private, gentle journey taking him to wherever is a more peaceful place.

As his foster mum I have to try to soothe his huge anxieties that there are people who think he's misguided, easily led, not fit to make decisions about himself, maybe even somehow a danger to the very quick of their lives.

As if fostering isn't hard enough without the TV news, the debate shows, the radio, newspapers, Twitter, Instagram and the rest becoming a torrent of debate about…as he sees it …. him.

Thanks media guys and MPs. Whatever happened to Ukraine?

"It got boring."

So...?

"Transitioning, that's got legs…"