In honor of Veterans Day, I’d like to introduce you to my Papa and Nana, my mother’s parents, on their wedding day in the middle of WWII. Long after the war, Papa became a psychiatrist and his practice included supporting transgender clients with their transitions. This would have been in the 1980s and early 90s, when acceptance was even rarer than it is today. He had a great heart.

We honor veterans today in the U.S. on what others call Armistice Day – the 11th day of the 11th month marking the end of World War I. Yes, it honors their battle and sacrifice to bring us that peace, and to guard it for us ever since. But it matters that today is dedicated to remembering the start of peace, not the start of war.

 Eternal gratitude to all who use their strength as a force for kindness and justice.