- Across the country there'san underground movement

of parents heartbroken that their children

are identifying as trans.

They're worried that they willirreversibly harm themselves.

And some are backing legislation to ban

hormones and surgery.

We met recently with 10 parents

from a support groupbased in a southern city.

Each fear social and professional backlash

for speaking out anddeclined to show their face

except for group leaders,Kevin and Kristie Sisson.

Their 21-year-old daughterhas publicly identified

as trans for several years.

They only learned ofher mastectomy, however,

over Thanksgiving.

- I actually saw a post on social media.

- She was completely nude up top.

It was just heartbreaking

because that's what I havebeen hoping that I could stop.

- [Heather] These trans-identifying kids

and young adults encourage each other

through TikTok, YouTube,Tumblr, and other social media.

The parents we metdescribed similar patterns,

what they see as almost a trans playbook.

- [Kate] She did not inform us

until she was a senior in college.

So at this point she had had two years

of everyone around her affirming her.

- [Heather] Kate and her husband

first thought they hadsuccessfully talked their daughter

out of her new identity.

Then after graduation, she moved

out of state and issued demands.

- [Kate] She sent us a video telling us

that she had lied to us,that she was still a man,

and that she was planningon going forward.

And that if we sent herany mail in a name other

than her new name, shewould send it back unopened.

If we showed up andcalled her by her old name

she would call the policeon us for harassment.

- [Heather] Steve and hiswife also received demands

from their college-aged son.

The last time they saw him

the hormone treatment had already begun.

- [Steve] He was starting to grow breasts.

You know, his voice whether real or,

you know acting, was higher.

- [Heather] The Sissons saythat in the last six months

their support group hasgrown to 20 families.

They're part of aninternational organization,

Parents of Rapid OnsetGender Dysphoria Kids.

1,500 have joined since 2017

with groups or clusters in 49 states.

The organization serves primarily

as a support to these parents

distraught over theirchildren's sudden change.

This group is going to step further

by speaking out in favor of legislation

they believe could help other families,

bills that would preventdoctors from providing hormones,

puberty blockers, or surgery to children.

- We want to do as a stateeverything that can to protect

these youth from makingdecisions that they

may significantly regretlater in their lives.

- [Heather] North Carolinais one of 16 states

considering legislation.

One proposed bill wouldmake the treatments illegal

for young people under 21.

Right now the age of consent is 18.

- When a child turns 18,it's almost like they

want to give themselves abirthday gift of hormones.

And once they get on the hormones

the next step is to have some type

of gender reassignment surgery.

- There's also an oophorectomy,which is just removing

both the ovaries on either side.

- [Heather] The field ofgender reassignment surgery

is rapidly growing andincludes numerous options

to remove reproductive organs.

Tens of thousands of youngpeople are finding ways

to pay even through sites like gofundme.

Trans activists and muchof the medical profession

maintain the hormones andsurgeries are compassionate

by helping to address mental health issues

like anxiety, depression, and suicide.

Some hormone expertsthough, like Dr. Paul Hruz

point out there is no long-term research

on how they affect the body.

- They're collectingdata on these children

over time to see what happens.

And so it's going to be,you know, 10, 20 or 30 years

from now, before weunderstand what is going on.

And the question that needs to be asked is

if this turns out notto be a good approach,

how many children are going to be harmed?

- [Heather] President Bidenhas long pushed acceptance

for these kids even as young as eight

who say they're transgender.

- To all transgenderAmericans watching at home,

especially the youngpeople who are so brave,

I want you to know yourpresident has your back.

- [Heather] The parents we spoke with

said they could lose relationshipswith family and friends

and even their jobs ifthey speak out publicly.

- [Kate] I don't want toface the people who are going

to say that I'm a trans-phobeor that I'm a bigot.

- [Steve] We're in the minority.

And it's hard to stand up againstthis tidal wave right now,

and you might lose familyand friends over it, we have.

But I am not going tosacrifice my child's wellbeing

in order to get along.

- [Heather] They also grievethe profound loss that comes

with estrangement, many with children

who have cut themselves off.

Still, these parentstell us they're holding

out hope that at some pointtheir children will return.

- I told her that whenevershe's ready to come home,

just let me know.

- [Heather] Heather Sells, CBN News.