My daughter came out as transgender to her dad and me on her 25th birthday. From that moment on we were and are completely supportive of her — we use her new name and pronouns and were thrilled to celebrate her marriage to her nonbinary spouse last year. Thanks to New Jersey’s access to gender-affirming health care, she was able to get good medical treatment and advice, as well as supportive mental health care. I have many trans and nonbinary friends of all ages, including several who grew up in our tiny Bergen county town. The health and wellbeing of these people and of their friends and families should — must — be the focus of our communities, and of state and national representatives. The ill-informed, misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic policies of the federal government are damaging — even life-threatening — to people and friends we love and need in our lives. We must support one another and advocate for humane, healthy, and sane legislation and policies for everyone.