Jeff and Hillary Whittington are parents of a transgender child, according to a "coming out" video they posted to YouTube that is quickly becoming a viral sensation. Here is their story.

In 2007, the Whittingtons welcomed their first daughter, Ryland. They brought her home to the nursery they so carefully decorated with pink awaiting her arrival. As far as they knew, Ryland was "healthy, beautiful and happy." But by her first birthday, they were heartbroken to discover she was deaf.

The family decided on cochlear implants and were delighted when Ryland began to hear and speak. Thinking their biggest challenge was behind them, they began to notice that she constantly yelled, "I am a boy!"

Ryland had aversions to feminine things and frequently wore male superhero and character costumes. The Whittingtons believed Ryland was simply going through a tomboy phase. They allowed her to dress like a boy but kept her hair styled like a girl.

But that all changed when one day she told them, "When the family dies, I will cut my hair so I can be a boy." "Why did God make me like this?" she is said to have tearfully asked. At age 5, she began calling herself a brother to her sibling. 

After consulting with "professionals and experts," the parents decided Ryland is transgender. Hoping to avoid her developing suicidal thoughts in the future, they were "advised to allow him to transition as soon as possible." So, they cut Ryland's hair, changed the pronouns to he and him, and changed his room to something more boy-appropriate.

Now the family introduces Ryland as their son and describe Ryland as "healthy, handsome and EXTREMELY happy."

The Whittingtons debuted this video at the Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast, where they received the Inspiration Award. Milk, who died in 1978, was the first openly gay elected official in the United States. A "Harvey Milk Stamp" was released by the U.S. Post Office on May 22, 2014 to commemorate his life and activism. 

At the breakfast, Ryland stood in front of the audience and read this letter:

My name is Ryland Michael Whittington. I am a transgender kid. I like to play with transgender kids. I am six. I am a cool kid. My sister's name is Brittany. I was a girl, now I'm a boy. My mom and dad are going to let me be who I want to be. I am the happiest I've ever been in my whole life. Thank you to my parents, Hillary and Jeff. And thank you to Harvey Milk for helping the world be a better place.

Hillary and Jeff insist, "Ryland's gender identity was not caused by our parenting style, family structure or environmental factors." They say they just started "truly listening."