Florida: a trans minor was elected grand marshal of the Come Out With Pride Festival in Orlando

An 11-year-old transgender (born male) boy was chosen to be the grand marshal of the Come Out With Pride Festival in Orlando, Florida, this weekend. Dempsey Jara's mother assured the Orlando Sentinel that the minor was "living his best life" by parading in the convertible vehicle through the streets of the city at the event which, according to estimates, was attended by around 200,000 people.

The youngest, wearing a princess-style floral dress and pink heart-shaped sunglasses, is the first child to be chosen to be the center of attention at the well-known festival. He was in the car with his parents and a puppy while blowing kisses to the crowd of attendees. After the parade, he took the stage at Lake Eola Park, and there declared that "being transgender is not about a choice, It's about being true to myself. It's about accepting who I am even when the world is trying to tell me otherwise. It's about standing tall in my identity, even when it's really hard."

'I am a girl in my heart and in my brain'

The family originally from Long Island, New York, reassigned Dempsey's sex on his birth certificate in 2019. His parents claim to have always supported him in his decisions despite his young age. Her mother, Jaime Jara, 45, said that "she has always been attracted to girls' things and toys, she said: 'I am a girl in my heart and in my brain.' "He's been on this journey since he was five years old and he's living his best life."