With all the goings-on at "The View" involving Rosie, Star and The Donald, it's easy to forget these days that Barbara Walters remains a first-rate journalist. At the age of 76, this television legend - the first woman to co-anchor The Today Show and a network evening newscast - is still doing relevant and important work. Tonight on ABC's "20/20," Walters intimately explores the lives of three incredible families and their transgender children. All three have children who have been diagnosed by medical professionals as transgendered, and all are under continuous observation by professional family therapists and medical support staff. We see how these three families are coping as they demonstrate the true meaning of unconditional love for their child.
Barbara talked about the special and about the kids this morning on "The View" and it was very clear that this is a subject that she has come to deeply understand and, I think, will play a role in helping the rest of us to understand what transgendered people face. Honestly, it makes being gay and coming to terms with that, seem easy which it really is not.
I had not thought much about the issues transgendered people face until The Advocate assigned me a piece last year about voilence against transgendered people and how it is mishandled by the justice system in almost all cases. But, you move on to the next story.
Now, with LA Times sportswriter Mike Penner going public this week about being transgendered and this Barbara Walters show, I'm thinking more about it and I think we can all learn a lot and maybe begin to not shun people and judge them so harshly.
The "20/20" show airs tonight on ABC at 10 p.m.