Watch: Father of trans daughter delivers an emotional plea to Missouri lawmakers against discriminatory law

Brandon Boulware, the father of a trangender daughter, recently testified on transgender rights before members of the Missouri state legislature. The ACLU has tweeted some a clip of Boulware, who explained during a hearing how he came to have a greater understanding of transgender needs.

The Missouri lawmakers are considering whether to enact a law to prevent trans kids from playing on sports teams that match their gender identity.

Boulware argued that this law would be devastating for his daughter, who plays volleyball. He told Missouri lawmakers, "I'm a lifelong Missourian. I'm a business lawyer. I'm a Christian. I'm the son of a Methodist minister. I'm a husband, and I'm the father of four kids: two boys, two girls — including a wonderful and beautiful transgender daughter."

Boulware went on to say that when it comes to transgender issues, he often hears, "I don't get it."

"I didn't get it either—for years," Boulware said during the hearing. "For years, I would not let my daughter wear girl clothes. I did not let her play with girl toys. I forced my daughter to wear boy clothes."

But Boulware added that he had a change of heart after seeing how unhappy his daughter was.

"My daughter was equating being good with being someone else," he said. "I was teaching her to deny who she is. As a parent, the one thing we cannot do, the one thing, is silence our child's spirit. And so on that day, my wife and I stopped silencing our child's spirit."