By Scott Craig and Phillip Sherman
Chris and Kelsey Waits are loving parents who always worked to make the world a better place for their children. They are supportive of their two children, Abby and Kit, and try to help them have a happy childhood. Their efforts were undermined, when a group of parents in Hastings, Minnesota delivered a vicious cyber-attack on the Waits Family outing eight-year-old Kit Waits, who identifies as non-binary but uses she/her pronouns in public. This was information the Waits family hadn’t disclosed because they wanted people to see Kit the way they saw themself. Not satisfied with robbing Kit of their right to live their life with dignity, the group of “concerned” parents also called for Mrs. Waits to be “locked up” for child abuse for supporting her child’s transition. Sadly Kit, and the rest of the Waits family, were collateral damage in a political battle. The real purpose of the attacks was to defeat Mrs. Waits’ reelection bid to the Hastings School Board, due to her support of students wearing masks to prevent spreading the Covid virus.
Many would have stepped away from the public eye to let their wounds heal; but, the Waits family did not. Instead, they bravely invited the harsh glare of public scrutiny. They allowed CNN, as well as many other news outlets, direct access to their complicated lives in an effort to bring awareness to the difficulties trans people and their families, face every day.
Although Chris and Kelsey Waits felt they had no other choice but to leave Hastings, their rallying cry “We will never give into the bullies” has become their hallmark. The Waits family has left behind the dream house they built and the community of Hastings they loved for a new better life for their family. They are now regaining the delicate balance for their family, fortified by the support of allies who stood with them during a dark time. They are rebuilding their lives, comforted and encouraged by the words and actions of the kind people who admire them for their tenacity and bravery. Kelsey has also started a non-profit organization to help parents of trans kids, called Transparent Alliance. She wants to help others find the resources and tools necessary to support their children in a loving and affirming way.
