On Saturday, the mother of Gabrielle Diana Gladu, a 16-year-old transgender Canadian, celebrated the legal changing of the teen’s name with a cake proclaiming, “Congratulations, you are now Gabrielle!”
The teen was “speechless,” according to BuzzFeed News. The teen’s mother, Rose, proudly told Buzzfeed, “I came up the with idea of the cake as a vehicle to celebrate her name change while having an informal family dinner with those that support, love and care for her. I was not expecting her to get so emotional that she became speechless. My daughter is never speechless. I knew at that moment my child came back to me. She was on her way to who she had been from birth.”
For a year, the teen has delineated the move toward new status on YouTube. In August, the teen posted a video reading a letter to “Young Gabrielle.” In the video, the teen stated,
Dear young Gabrielle,
I know you’re very confused right now. I know you feel like a different person inside then you are on the outside. Gabrielle, you are a girl, outgoing, creative, and a fearless girl. Speak up about how you feel and tell Mom and Dad. At first, mom’s not gonna to take it very well. She’s going to be confused, and she’s gonna be scared, but I promise in time she will come around and she will be one of your best supporters ever. And dad, he’s going to be fine with it; he’s gonna love you no matter who you are.
And Gabrielle, take chances and be truthful with yourself. Don’t be so disgusted with your body, and don’t hurt yourself because you feel like you’re crazy; you won’t be trapped forever. You are strong and you need to continue to stand up for yourself. Please learn how to cope with personal issues; they’re not going to go away by doing silly things. You’re transgender; you’re not psycho. Gabrielle, promise me that you’re going to take care of yourself. You need to know right now that you can be whoever you want to be whenever you want to be. You will help people understand that everyone in this world is different but we still all deserve to be treated with respect. Oh, and start growing out your hair like you’ve always wanted to, but just never, ever, ever, shave the sides of your head because growing that out will not be easy and it will be very awkward. Gabrielle, you’re a girl and you don’t need to explain yourself to anyone. Your identity should be enough for people to respect you.
There is no word as to whether the teen regarded the changes involved in the transgender process as “not easy” and “awkward.”
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