Kirin Clawson poses with her parents, Beth Clawson, left, and Nathaniel Clawson, right, in their home Wednesday, Feb 2, 2022 in Bloomington. Staff photo by Rich Janzaruk
Around the time Kirin Clawson turned 2, she began refusing to leave the house if she wasn’t wearing a tutu. She would throw a tantrum if she was only wearing her boy clothes.
When her parents, Beth and Nathaniel Clawson, saw that she felt more herself in girl clothes, they went out and bought her a pair of “Frozen”-themed shoes from Smith’s Shoe Center that she never took off.
By the time she was 3, Kirin was living as her true self. She started transitioning in preschool.
Now, she’s a 9-year-old transgender girl in third grade at Childs Elementary School. She’s outspoken, precocious and funny, and she does roller derby, plays volleyball and is a heck of a swimmer, Beth said.
Kirin has always been accepted by her classmates and family. But the Indiana Legislature continually attempts to pass laws that tell her she doesn’t belong.
© 2024 HeraldTimesOnline, Bloomington, IN