>> JENNA BUSH HAGER MET WITH A  
WOMAN WHO DEALT WITH A CRISIS OF
FAITH.                          
>> Reporter: OUR FAITH CAN SHAPE
OUR BELIEFS.                    
AND ALSO FORCE US TO RE-EXAMINE 
THEM.                           
THAT'S THE CASE FOR A MOM I MET 
WITH WHEN SHE WAS FACED WITH A  
VERY PERSONAL PARENTING         
CHALLENGE.                      
>> I WAS BORN A REPUBLICAN.     
TEA PARTIER.                    
DEVOUT SOUTHERN BAPTIST         
EVANGELIST.                     
YOU KNOW, FAITH IS SOMETHING    
THAT IS JUST PART OF WHO I AM.  
>> Reporter: BUT KIMBERLY HAD TO
TAKE A HARD LOOK AT HER BELIEFS 
BECAUSE OF HER 6-YEAR-OLD       
DAUGHTER, KAI.                  
>> KAI IS BUBBLY AND LOUD AND   
HAPPY AND ENERGETIC.            
AND SHE'S SWEET.                
>> Reporter: BUT KAI WAS BORN   
JOSEPH, A BOY.                  
>> KAI WOULD TELL ME, YOU KNOW  
I'M A GIRL, FROM THE AGE OF 3.  
KAI WOULD TELL ME, YOU KNOW I'M 
A GIRL.                         
>> Reporter: SHE HAD DIFFICULTY 
ACCEPTING WHAT KAI WAS TELLING  
HER.                            
>> I THOUGHT BEING TRANSGENDER  
WAS YOUR CHOICE.                
WHEN I WOULD HEAR STORIES OF    
OTHER PARENTS LETTING THEIR     
PARENTS TRANSITION, I WOULD     
THINK SO MYSELF, WHAT IS YOUR   
PROBLEM?                        
YOU NEED TO RAISE THESE KIDS IN 
THE WAYS OF THE LORD.           
AND I WAS EXTREMELY JUDGMENTAL. 
>> THANK YOU, GOD, FOR --       
>> Reporter: IT ALL CHANGED ONE 
DAY WHEN SHE HEARD KAI PRAYING. 
>> HEARING KAI PRAY AND LET     
JOSEPH GO HOME AND BE WITH JESUS
AND NEVER COME BACK --          
>> Reporter: WHAT DID THAT MEAN?
>> KAI WAS BEGGING THE LORD TO  
LET HER DIE.                    
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU HEARD     
THAT, WHAT WENT WENT THROUGH YO 
MIND?                           
>> I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.      
I HAVE TO SAVE MY CHILD.        
I KNEW AT THAT MOMENT I WOULD   
RATHER HAVE A TRANSGENDER CHILD 
THAN A DEAD CHILD.              
>> THESE ARE OUR SLEEPING SHOES.
>> Reporter: SHE SOUGHT OUT THE 
HELD OF PSYCHIATRIST.           
IF YOU LIVED ON A DESERTED      
ISLAND WITH KAI, WOULD YOU LET  
HER WEAR GIRL CLOTHING?         
AND WHAT DID YOU SAY?           
>> I SAID YES.                  
>> Reporter: HOW DID THAT CHANGE
YOUR OUTLOOK?                   
>> IT CHANGED MY OUTLOOK BECAUSE
THE NEXT THING THAT SHE SAID TO 
ME WAS, IF YOU WOULD LET KAI    
DRESS LIKE A GIRL ON A DESERTED 
ISLAND, YOUR ISSUE ISN'T WITH   
GAD BECAUSE HE SEES YOU         
EVERYWHERE.                     
YOUR ISSUE IS HOW PEOPLE ARE    
GOING TO PERCEIVE YOU.          
>> Reporter: SO, SHE TURNED TO  
THE ONE CONSTANT IN HER LIFE    
THAT ALWAYS PROVIDED HER        
GREATEST SOURCE OF STRENGTH.    
TALK TO ME ABOUT HOW YOU        
GRAPPLED WITH YOUR FAITH.       
HOW FAITH HELPED IN SOME WAYS.  
>> I LIKE TO EXPLAIN IT, THAT   
RELIGION IS WHAT KEPT ME FROM   
LETTING HER TRANSITION.         
AND IT WAS MY FAITH THAT ALLOWED
ME TO LET HER TRANSITION.       
>> Reporter: TWO YEARS AGO, WITH
PEACE IN HER HEART, SHE LET KAI 
BEGIN THE PROCESS OF            
TRANSITIONING TO A GIRL.        
>> KAI BLOSSOMED.               
WE'RE NOT GETTING MEDICATIONS.  
WE HAVEN'T HAD SURGERIES.       
WE USE PRONOUNS THAT MAKE HER   
FEEL SAFE, SECURE, VALIDATED.   
>> Reporter: AND LIKE HERSELF.  
>> AND LIKE HERSELF.            
>> Reporter: WHAT'S KAI'S FAITH 
LIKE?                           
>> HER FAITH IS THE FAITH OF A  
CHILD.                          
AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH.    
BUT IT'S IMPERTIVE TO ME TO MAKE
SURE KAI KNOWS WHO SHE IS AND   
THAT SHE'S FIRM IN HER FAITH, SO
WHEN THE WORLD DOES START TO    
ATTACK HER AND TELL HER THAT    
SHE'S LESS THAN, THAT SHE'S     
PREPARED FOR THAT.              
>> Reporter: SHE RECENTLY HELD A
PRESS CONFERENCE, PUBLICLY      
APOLOGIZING TO THE LGBTQ        
COMMUNITY FOR HER PAST BELIEFS. 
>> I'M SORRY FOR EVERY TIME THAT
I PLUCKED A BIBLE VERSE OUT OF  
CONTEXT AND I HURT YOU WITH IT. 
>> Reporter: STILL A FAITHFUL   
BIBLE READER, SHE SEES HER      
RELIGION THROUGH DIFFERENT EYES.
>> I HOPE PEOPLE WOULD HEAR OUR 
STORY AND AT LEAST STEP BACK AND
BE MORE EMPATHETIC AND REALIZE  
THAT BEING A TRANSGENDER        
CHRISTIAN ISN'T AN OXYMORON.    
BEING A HATEFUL CHRISTIAN IS AN 
OXYMORON.                       
>> JESUS LOVES ME.              
AND Y'ALL, EVERYONE IN THE      
WORLD.                          
>> Reporter: WHO ARE YOU NOW?   
>> I'M JUST A WOMAN WHO LOVES   
THE LORD.                       
AND GENUINELY LOVES PEOPLE.     
AND THAT'S ENOUGH.              
>> Reporter: SO, KIMBERLY       
ATTENDS THE CHURCH.             
AND SHE HAS FOUND SOME SUPPORT  
THERE.                          
SHE IS FIGHTING HER SCHOOL      
DISTRICT'S DENIAL FOR KAI TO USE
THE GIRL'S RESTAURANT AND       
WORKING WITH THE LBGTQ COMMUNITY
TO MAKE A CHANGE.               
>> WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN   
THAT UH WAS RUNNING HOW         
BRILLIANT THAT PSYCHIATRIST WAS 
TO PUT HER TO THAT TEST.        
ASKING HER TO CONFRONT HER      
BELIEFS VERSUS HER FAITH.       
>> AND HER FAITH HAS GUIDE      
HELPED THIS DECISION.           
IT HELD HER BACK AT FIRST.      
AND NOW, IT HELPED HER SHOW     
LOVE.                           
AND THAT'S WHAT SHE SAYS IS MOST
IMPORTANT.                      
>> SO                           
