The Daily Signal - Mom Explains Tragic Reality of Gender Ideology That Claimed Her Daughter

Episode Date: April 19, 2022

Abby Martinez knows firsthand how gender ideology can negatively affect a young life.  Martinez's daughter Yaeli began taking cross-sex hormones in high school and changed her name to Andrew. When Martinez raised concerns about the path her teen daughter was on, she lost custody of Yaeli to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.  Yaeli later took her own life at age 19. “I wish the system, instead of spending millions of dollars on these kids, having them in foster care, [would instead] support us as a parent and give us the tools that we need,” Martinez says.  Martinez joins “The Daily Signal Podcast" to talk about what happened next and how the lives of her whole family have been changed forever by a transgender movement that promotes “sex change” for children, teens, and young adults. Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Tuesday, April 19th. I'm Virginia Allen. We have a special episode of the Daily Signal podcast today. You know, one of the issues that we follow really closely here at the Daily Signal is that of the transgender movement and specifically how the far left's transgender agenda is affecting and influencing our kids. Just last month, President Joe Biden's Justice Department sent a letter to all state attorney generals telling them that they could be. in violation of civil rights law if they prevent minors from receiving gender affirming care. What is gender affirming care? It's puberty blockers, sex hormones, and surgeries to remove or alter body parts. And increasingly, we are learning about families who have and are being

deeply affected by this issue. Today's podcast focuses on that issue. Virginia Allen here, I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a California mom named Abby Martinez. When Abby's daughter Yaley entered high school, her daughter really began struggling with depression, which ultimately led to her struggling with her gender identity. Because Abby was concerned about her daughter taking steps to socially transition to present as a man, Abby actually lost custody of her daughter to the Department of Child and Family Services. The Daily Signal is producing a documentary telling Abby's story. And today, I'm pleased that we get to share a version of that documentary with you all right here on the podcast.

It's honestly a really challenging story to listen to, but it's a powerful one and an important one because sadly this has and is happening to other parents. And Abby's story, Yaley's story is something that is starting to touch. families all across America. So if you do have young ears within earshot, you might want to push pause because this is rather sensitive material, but such a powerful story. So let's go ahead and get to Abby's conversation as she tells her story of her and her daughter, Yaley. Abby began her conversation telling me about her daughter Yaley when she was a little girl. Yaley, she was the girly girl in the house. She used to dress up as a princess.

She loved to dance, sing, and she was very artistic. When she was 13, she was starting to go into social media. I noticed that she was sort of depressed because she's starting to cut it. herself and I seek for help. She was going to therapy through the school and outside too. But it didn't help. The first year in high school, freshman year, she met this other girl who was going into all this situation,

like transgender. First she started saying that she felt like a she like girl. then first was boys, then girls. There was that transgender girl who was two years older than her. She was the one who was telling her that she was depressed because maybe she was not a girl. She was invited to go to an LGBT group at school. I didn't know about it.

So I don't know if the schools, they're supposed to. to let us know what's going on or not, but they never sent me any note about telling me, we need to talk about your daughter. So they change everything without asking us as a parent, and they asked, you know, what do you want me to, or how do you want me address you? As a boy or as a girl? So everything, all the information that I got it from my other daughter, who was in high school. And I asked her, do you know why Jayley is feeling that anxious and, you know, sad? Oh, Ma, because it's going to be the beginning of the year. And she was going to this meeting. And if she stopped going, she's going to be bullied. She asked everybody in the family to call her

Jay. So I did. Jayley. So to me, it was like, Jay, okay, we called you Jay. if you're happy, we call her Jake, she was not happy. Then she came up with Andrew, and that's when DCFS was involved. I didn't support all the changes that she was telling everybody that she was transgender, and she was in the process of it. And what they did is just to send it to the school psychology. to talk to her, so they talk, talk, talk. And then when DCFS was involved, the school psychology brought a note saying that my daughter was better off out of my home.

Because we were not supportive towards the chain. She was 16 years old when she moved out. That's when my dad was starting to say that. she was a transgender and she changed her name. I didn't have any support from school. I didn't have any support from anyone. I was the bad guy. And even though I talked to them about the depression,

they didn't care about that. It didn't matter. At this point, you know, the changes was more important because that was going to make my daughter happy and she will not harm herself. And that's why the school psychology decide to tell the CFS to remove my daughter from the house or do not send it back home. The Department of Children and Family Services took custody of J-Lean. Abby was allowed to visit her daughter once a week for just an hour. no matter how much or how long or, you know, I spend in court, going to court, going to the group home,

following every, every rule that they have to visit my on that. I follow everything. I did everything that, you know, I was possible to do for her. to come back home. It didn't matter. They decided to keep my daughter of this group home. And it breaks my heart

because to them, it was like if we keep her out at your home, she has more chance to survive and she's not going to try to commit suicide. Bigally, they allow her to change her name from jail to, Andrew. She was taking the hormones.

She was not happy. She changed her name. It was not happy. She adopted a dog because that was going to make her happy. And none of everything that they'd done didn't work. It's hard to say, but in California, I couldn't find a good attorney to represent me to at least be there and... talk to the job and say, you know, we need a psych evaluation.

Do you want to help her? Give her some medical treatment. Mental health. The issue is here. I wish the system, instead of spending millions of dollars on this kid, having them in foster care, support us as a parent, and gave us the tools that we need. I just didn't want to lose my dad.

In late summer, 2019, Abby received a phone call that is every parent's worst nightmare. On September 4, on that day I felt, there's not weird. I felt like I have a pain in my chest. I didn't know why. I was sad, but super sad. sad like, you know, something was taking away from me. So I picked up my son and we always said, how was your day? Anything new?

And he said, no, and how was your day, Mom? I don't know. I feel like crying. But I just, I couldn't hide it no more with him. And I said, I just want to cry. And I said, why? Have you talked to Yale? He right away knew.

I've been texting her, but she didn't reply back. So I'm waiting. Do you want me to call her? No, let's call her when we get back. So we did. I called her nothing. I sent her a message. And she replied back.

And I was like, oh, my gosh, she's okay. And I even, you know, said, oh, I'm so glad that you'll reply. How you doing? Oh, I'm good, Mama. And she told me a little bit of the day. at work and I say, good. They keep texting and nothing. I say, maybe she's in the shower.

But that was the last text that I received from her. The next day in the morning, like 8.15, I receive a phone call from the corner of office. When they asked me, are you J. Lee called them his mom, aka. Andrew? And they say, yes. Who's calling? and she said, well, are you home? No, I just dropped up my son at school, so, oh, I need you to park the car. And then my heart went like crazy.

I said, no. I just got off the first exit from, I was in the freeway driving, the freeway when I just parked my car, but not trying to, I just park. I'm here and I say, I parked my car. me where's my daughter? I want to go see her. And she said, I'm so sorry, but you're not going to be able to see your dad. They say, why? What hospital is she in? I just want to see her.

Man, last night, she took her life away, and I said, no. Where? Tell me what happened. I got off the car. I was screaming like crazy. I was screaming. I was screaming. I said, no, I want my daughter. You're all. That's not my daughter. And he told me, right, we need to do a DNA because we can. We're not sure, but most likely she's your daughter, the one that we have here. I'm calling you from the corner office.

And I think I have your dad as well. Give me the address. I'm on my way. I need to see her. She said, unfortunately, we can't allow you to see there's nothing that you can see. I just want to disappear at that moment. On September 4, 2019, Yaley knelt down on a set of railroad tracks as a train approached and took her own life. So she was 19 when decided to take her life away because she was not happy.

None of the stuff that they allow her to do work. This is my first time talking about her story, what really happened. Because I want everybody to know that the system is taking our children's away. They are not helping them. To them is my daughter was a number. It's all political. It's in their agenda. LGBTQ used to take her, use her to collect money from wealthy people,

just to tell the story that her mom didn't support her, and that's why she ended in a group home. Because she was transgender, and I never accept that. And that was a lie. so I wish one day the system change and really help this kid not to support them

I want them to explore what's going on why they act in the way that they act why they're feeling you know in the way that they feel I want them to give them you know and to be aware of the mental care. I don't want any

parent to go through this because this pain never go away. You breathe and you can feel that pain. It's weird and it's not like I'm telling like, oh yeah, it's like, no, you really

breathe and it is a pain in your heart. And it's sad because I know that I'm not not the first one, maybe. There's many parents, moms that are struggling with this, with the school system, with DCFS. We can do anything with them. It's like they tight our hands to do or to do something with our children. They take it away like they belong to them. Thank you all so much for listening. As I mentioned, we did produce a documentary here at The Daily Signal telling Abby and Yaleie's story.

I'll be sure to leave a link for that in the show notes. But we're going to leave it there for today. If you've not done so already, please be sure to take a moment to subscribe to the Daily Signal podcast on Google Play, Apple Podcast, Spotify, and IHeartRadio. And leave us a review and a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and encourage others to subscribe. Thank you all again for listening. And we'll be right back here with you tomorrow morning. Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. The executive producers are Rob Blewey and Kay Trinko.

Producers are Virginia, Allen, and Doug Blair. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. For more information, please visitdailySignal.com.