Ten years ago, if you'd told me that sexual preferences would one day be hailed as heroic, I would not have believed you. Yet here we are. Welcome to 2019.
The new Disney+ streaming service is pretty neat. It has shows and movies from back when I was a kid on there. However, in addition to the nostalgia, it comes with a piping hot plate of activism.
There is a new unscripted show on the service called Hero Project, which puts the spotlight on kids who are making a difference in their community.
In one episode, “Mighty Rebekah”, Marvel introduces transgender girl Rebekah Bruesehoff, from New Jersey. The 12-year-old was born a male, but transitioned at the age of eight. EIGHT!
The episode follows Bruesehoff’s path toward activism, which began around the time the group Garden State Equality started agitating for statewide guidelines regarding transgender kids in schools.
It also reveals that Bruesehoff is active as a singer in her Christian church, where her father is a pastor.
During an interview with The Advocate, Bruesehoff said about being chosen for the show: “It’s really surprising and cool....But I also think that it’s really important to have a transgender kid in one of these companies because representation is really helpful for kids who are going through their transition to know that they are not alone and that there are people fighting for them.”
Bruesehoff was only ten when she spoke at her first big rally. “It was kind of nerve-wracking because it was my first time speaking there. Speaking anywhere,” Bruesehoff recalled in the episode.
Bruesehoff's mother, Jamie, supports the activism. “Holy moly. She was just a natural,” she said. “All these people were impressed by her bravery and the clarity of ‘this is who I am and I deserved a safe school.’ Suddenly people cared and wanted to hear your voice.”
I'd say it's child abuse if you ask me. An eight year old child, or even a twelve year old child, has absolutely no business making such life altering decisions. Those parents should be ashamed of themselves!
Sexuality has nothing to do with being a hero.