Prominent trans rights campaigner Aydian Dowling and his wife Jenilee welcomed their first son last week. Jenilee gave birth to a baby boy on Thursday November 1.
The couple have chosen the name Antler for their child.
Dowling shared a photo of his baby on Instagram with the caption:
“My life is forever changed because of you. I promise to love you more than I’ve ever loved before. I promise to show you what it is to be a kind and loving human. I promise to be the example so you can learn not just from my words but from my actions.
“I promise to show you my fears and my weakness so that you may know what true strength looks like.
“I promise to never let you go.”
In another Instagram post, Dowling shared the story behind Antler’s name:
“Deer have been shown to us throughout our entire pregnancy journey – from before conception until the day Antler was born.
“The antler has long been tied to the annual death and resurrection of the sun.”
Dowling continued:
“Since Jenilee and I have been together we have been reborn many times. The deer shown to us reminds us to trust that no matter how dark things can get, the sun will always come back to shine.”
Dowling shared another adorable photo of Antler dressed in a Lion King romper, the first outfit Antler’s ever worn. The proud dad promised this would be the beginning of “a flurry of baby photos from now until, well, probably forever”.
Aydian Dowling is a speaker, advocate and community leader who has been very vocal about his own trans experience, as well as what it means to be transgender in the current political climate. His YouTube channel currently boasts over 5 million views.
Dowling was also the first trans man to be featured on the front covers of Gay Times and Men’s Health.
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