>> During this Pride month ░░░░░░░░ has been highlighting the ░░░░░░░░ facing the LGBTQ community ░░░░░░░░ this morning we share ░░░░░░░░ story of Ryland Whittington ░░░░░░░░ Brian Yanis has more ░░░░░░░░ how the California Teenagers ░░░░░░░░ Journey is helping other ░░░░░░░░ Ryland If you saw ░░░░░░░░ walking down the street ░░░░░░░░ wouldn t think anything ░░░░░░░░ Yanis 14 year old ░░░░░░░░ Whittington is a typical ░░░░░░░░ California teenager and the ░░░░░░░░ s along with Mom ░░░░░░░░ dad Jeff and Sister ░░░░░░░░ are a typical family ░░░░░░░░ only difference though in ░░░░░░░░ s eyes is what ░░░░░░░░ family can mean to ░░░░░░░░ tens of thousands of ░░░░░░░░ under 18 who identify ░░░░░░░░ transgender Ryland We put ░░░░░░░░ story out there so ░░░░░░░░ can see that there ░░░░░░░░ another family out there ░░░░░░░░ is going through what ░░░░░░░░ re going through or ░░░░░░░░ s another family who ░░░░░░░░ proud of who they ░░░░░░░░ Yanis Before Ryland could ░░░░░░░░ speak he managed to ░░░░░░░░ his parents that he ░░░░░░░░ a boy Hilary I ░░░░░░░░ just see it It ░░░░░░░░ t him trying to ░░░░░░░░ a brat It was ░░░░░░░░ painful It was truly ░░░░░░░░ for him to have ░░░░░░░░ wear feminine clothing and ░░░░░░░░ us constantly telling him ░░░░░░░░ you re a girl ░░░░░░░░ And unlike some trans ░░░░░░░░ when Rylan came out ░░░░░░░░ age five a few ░░░░░░░░ later he had the ░░░░░░░░ support of his parents ░░░░░░░░ Initially there was some ░░░░░░░░ from us and trying ░░░░░░░░ understand this Hilary We ░░░░░░░░ confused like most people ░░░░░░░░ We thought that gender ░░░░░░░░ sexuality were the same ░░░░░░░░ It took us a ░░░░░░░░ to figure out that ░░░░░░░░ two things are different ░░░░░░░░ that children actually do ░░░░░░░░ their gender identity very ░░░░░░░░ some of them not ░░░░░░░░ Yanis But they listen ░░░░░░░░ Ryland and to Hillary ░░░░░░░░ conservative faith Hillary For ░░░░░░░░ it s just a ░░░░░░░░ spiritual belief that you ░░░░░░░░ in God And He ░░░░░░░░ us the way He ░░░░░░░░ us Well then yes ░░░░░░░░ created Ryland just the ░░░░░░░░ he is Yanis And ░░░░░░░░ listened to families They ░░░░░░░░ in support groups Jeff ░░░░░░░░ was a father who ░░░░░░░░ sitting across the table ░░░░░░░░ says you have no ░░░░░░░░ how lucky you are ░░░░░░░░ be here which kind ░░░░░░░░ took me back I ░░░░░░░░ t at that point ░░░░░░░░ myself lucky to be ░░░░░░░░ And he said our ░░░░░░░░ had displayed this gender ░░░░░░░░ or this gender misalignment ░░░░░░░░ the same age that ░░░░░░░░ has And we didn ░░░░░░░░ listen and we pushed ░░░░░░░░ Yanis That pushback led ░░░░░░░░ child to turn to ░░░░░░░░ harm as a teenager ░░░░░░░░ 60 of trans and ░░░░░░░░ binary kids engage in ░░░░░░░░ to the Trevor Project ░░░░░░░░ than 50 consider suicide ░░░░░░░░ That for me was ░░░░░░░░ turning point I didn ░░░░░░░░ want to see Ryland ░░░░░░░░ go through that Hillary ░░░░░░░░ d rather have a ░░░░░░░░ son than a dead ░░░░░░░░ I guarantee that if ░░░░░░░░ had pushed back and ░░░░░░░░ what a lot of ░░░░░░░░ do I don t ░░░░░░░░ that we would have ░░░░░░░░ one of the kids ░░░░░░░░ you see before you ░░░░░░░░ today Jeff Allowing him ░░░░░░░░ live authentically and true ░░░░░░░░ himself and be who ░░░░░░░░ really feels like he ░░░░░░░░ When you get to ░░░░░░░░ Ryland you see just ░░░░░░░░ proud and confident he ░░░░░░░░ of himself Yanis Ryland ░░░░░░░░ story got international attention ░░░░░░░░ 2014 when a family ░░░░░░░░ video went viral and ░░░░░░░░ has since written a ░░░░░░░░ called Raising Ryland Ryland ░░░░░░░░ never thought that I ░░░░░░░░ be known for this ░░░░░░░░ well as I am ░░░░░░░░ really it s just ░░░░░░░░ small part of who ░░░░░░░░ am Brinley He just ░░░░░░░░ things off his shoulders ░░░░░░░░ it s fine he ░░░░░░░░ on in his life ░░░░░░░░ he just kind of ░░░░░░░░ everything we ve been ░░░░░░░░ He just like learned ░░░░░░░░ do that and he ░░░░░░░░ really good at it ░░░░░░░░ could never do that ░░░░░░░░ The Whittingtons believe sharing ░░░░░░░░ story could make a ░░░░░░░░ difference in another child ░░░░░░░░ life something they learned ░░░░░░░░ that support group father ░░░░░░░░ a decade ago Ryland ░░░░░░░░ m just here to ░░░░░░░░ the ride smoother for ░░░░░░░░ You might be struggling ░░░░░░░░ now but we believe ░░░░░░░░ you as a family ░░░░░░░░ might not know you ░░░░░░░░ might not know where ░░░░░░░░ live but we understand ░░░░░░░░ and we believe in ░░░░░░░░ Yanis What extraordinary courage ░░░░░░░░ by Ryland his mother ░░░░░░░░ father Jeff and sister ░░░░░░░░ I want to thank ░░░░░░░░ Winnington family for speaking ░░░░░░░░ us It s not ░░░░░░░░ particularly when transgender issues ░░░░░░░░ been so politicized People ░░░░░░░░ afraid of what they ░░░░░░░░ do not understand The ░░░░░░░░ hopes their story will ░░░░░░░░ to more understanding more ░░░░░░░░ and ultimately more love ░░░░░░░░ New York Brian Yanis ░░░░░░░░ News.