In this special bonus episode, I follow up on my conversation with Bree Rose, who shared her experience as the mother of Storm, her nonbinary teenager. I wanted to hear Storm’s perspective on their journey, and our conversation was fun, deep, and reminded me that young people today hold incredible wisdom and insight despite a world too often torn by polarization.

Now 17, Storm speaks candidly about beginning to question their gender identity at age 12, the relief of discovering that they did not have to fit into a prescribed box, and the safety they felt knowing their family’s love would not change. They also share what it means to experiment with how they present themselves and navigate a world that does not always make room for people who defy conventional expectations.

Storm brings both honesty and a roundedness far beyond their years to the everyday realities nonbinary and transgender young people can face -- from public scrutiny and other people’s discomfort to the anxiety of deciding which public restroom feels safest. Their experience makes visible the personal consequences of debates that can otherwise feel abstract or purely political. At the same time, Storm’s flourishing is a powerful testament to what becomes possible when someone can live in alignment with who they know themselves to be.

Together, Storm, Bree, and I explore the difference between making an honest mistake and refusing to learn; how families can offer fierce support without being able to protect their children from every hurt; and why grace does not require us to remain silent in the face of prejudice. We also discuss the value of curiosity and the importance of allowing people to tell us who they are.

Despite the challenges, Storm remains hopeful. They draw inspiration from people who advocate for change in ways large and small—from public protest to quiet acts of kindness, courage, and solidarity. Storm’s message is simple and powerful: as long as people keep trying, change remains possible.

In this episode, we explore:

• What Storm experienced when they first began questioning their gender identity
• Why their family’s love and support made it possible to speak openly
• The possibilities and limitations of identity labels
• What it feels like to move through public spaces as a nonbinary young person
• The difference between not yet understanding and refusing to understand
• How grace, learning, and advocacy can coexist
• Why everyday acts of courage give Storm hope

This episode is an invitation to listen to a young person describe their own life in their own words—and to approach complex questions about gender identity with greater curiosity, humility, and humanity.

Please follow The Space In Between podcast, leave a review and share on your social media plaforms.

Conversations about transgender youth and gender identity increasingly unfold in a highly polarized climate, where deeply personal decisions get pulled into cultural and political conflict. Behind those debates — and ongoing threats to the rights, safety, and well-being of transgender people — are real families trying to support their children and make consequential decisions without the benefit of certainty. In this episode, Leigh talks with Bree Rose about her family's path after her child, Storm, began questioning their gender identity at age 12.

Ultimately, they explore a question that reaches beyond parenting: how do we lead with love and grace when there's no consensus on the right answer? Bree and Leigh talk about staying grounded in values that don't bend, exercising judgment when there is no roadmap, and lessons she learned dealing with judgement from multiple sides.

Bree’s story centers on a mother’s love and a family determined to support and stand by Storm. It is also a story about navigating parental roles, choices about medical care, and the tension between what a child wants and what parents believe is best. Bree is careful to note that what her family experienced, and the choices they made, belong to them alone and that other loving, well-intended families may face different circumstances and reach different conclusions.

In this conversation, Leigh and Bree explore:

• Loving a child without having all the answers. Bree shares her initial uncertainty when Storm first raised the subject, and how she shifted from trying to "solve" the situation to listening, learning, and accompanying her child and other family members on an unfolding journey.
• Supporting identity while navigating parental responsibility. Bree and her husband gave Storm room to explore gender identity while deciding, as a family, that they needed more time before making choices about certain types of medical care — a choice made thoughtfully, not lightly.
• Living with other people's judgment. Bree describes criticism from people who felt her family wasn't supporting Storm in the right way, and how many families often face the opposite: harsh judgment for supporting a transgender child's identity at all.
• Making room for different choices. Their conversation turns to how polarization can convert complicated, deeply personal decisions into harmful tests of allegiance — and why people who care about human dignity can disagree but also continue to center the flourishing and wellbeing of young people and their chosen expressions.

About Bree Rose

Bree is a Seattle-area leader, advocate, philanthropic impact advisor, and certified Dare to Lead™ facilitator whose professional experience spans finance, leadership development, philanthropy, and community engagement.

Permissions & Next Week's Bonus Episode: Bree, Storm, and their family have given permission for their story to be told. Next week's bonus episode features Storm themself, who shares their insights with similar clarity and warmth.

How to Support the Podcast: The Space In Between podcast is growing! Your help will amplify its impact and message. Please take a moment to leave a review and share the podcast with others on via social media and by sending to family, friends and colleagues. Together, we can turn the tide on polarization and stay fierce about values that we hold dear.