[cheers and applause] this is "nightline." >> tonight, a custody battle turned public headline. the divorced couple fighting over how they want their 7-year-old transgender child to live. a pafather making his case on a conservative website. >> i'm not trying to cross-dress my son and mislead him into thinking he's a girl. >> republicans taking a stand. and speaking with parents and their transgendered children. >> it's not your life to live, it's your child's life to live. >> tonight the question being debated. how young is too young for people to transition? plus, running wild.

bear grylls has a lot of guts, and he's not afraid to eat them, too. the elite commando turned extreme survivalist, pushing the limits of human endurance, facing dangerous adventure. with famous faces. >> keep pushing. >> bear with us. but first, the "nightline" five.

kerrygold has a taste so rich it can take you to ireland's lush, green pastures. where grass-fed cows produce rich, creamy milk for a truly delicious taste. kerrygold. the taste that takes you there.

good evening. thank you for joining us. the texas parents in a bitter custody battle over a child whose mother accepts as transgender but whose father disagrees. now the case triggering a divisive debate in public. abc's gloria rivera is in dallas. >> reporter: rachel gonzalez knows her family looks typical. but here in texas she says they are a target. every day is a fight to keep her kids safe. specifically 9-year-old daughter libby, who is transgender. >> we needed to be able to create a sanctuary where all our children feel safe and loved no matter what. >> reporter: rachel has reason to worry. her close friend is at the center of a national firestorm, surrounding her transgender daughter we are not identifying. a custody battle which has gone from private family court to global headline. the central issue, how young is too young for a child to

transition. they split up in 2015 with shared custody of their twins. but trouble started when one of the kids began identifying as a girl. georgia allowed it. >> she was specifically asking for their father to affirm her as a girl by allowing her to wear girls clothes and use the name and pronouns that she uses. and he refused to do that. >> reporter: younger got upset and filed for sole custody. >> i'm not trying to cross-dress my son and mislead him into thinking he's a girl, and i'm not pushing my son toward medical transition. >> reporter: he sarlted a website and gave interviews about the custody battle like on the conservative website, life site. >> this is my son's life, and i'm not backing down, and i was not surprised at all that americans stood up for my son. >> reporter: but a jury decided 11-1 that he should not have full custody. georgia should. the judge ruled the former

couple should share custody. >> how often are you in touch? >> well, right now, multiple times a day. >> reporter: what's her state of mind right now? >> she is exhausted. it's really hard it to be, i mean, she receives at least ten phone calls an hour, she gets text messages, people sending her messages of hate. >> reporter: that to her personal phone. >> to her personal phones. >> reporter: that disapproval extending to some of the highest officials in texas and on. senator rand paul tweeted, we don't let kids drink alcohol till 21. people want to move the smoking age to 21, but we will allow a 7-year-old to have his life and body altered like this? this is child abuse. the president's son, donald trump jr. weighed in, agreeing, quote, this is child abuse. people need to start to stand against this bfrgs. enough is enough. but it was texas senator ted cruz's tweet that angered

advocates. this is mohorrifying and tragic for a young child to be subject to hormone blockers. >> in is a bold-faced lie. no prepubescent child is going through medical transition. there is no such thing as surgery or hormone replacement surgery for prepubescent children. it doesn't exist. >> it's really hard to understand and hear the senator of texas call us child abuser. >> reporter: a doctor says a grade schoolchild would undergo what's called a social transition, a medical transition comes later and only if they choose. >> for younger kids who are nowhere close to starting puberty, the transition will be purely social. and that may be that the child chooses to dress differently, chooses different names or pronouns, and really all that's happening at that age is a social transition. >> reporter: rachel says the misinformation has led to

threats against ann, who is a local pediatricain. >> they put a dead animal in front of the doors of her practice. >> reporter: a dead animal at the place of business? >> mm-hm. >> and last week. >> someone had thrown a rock through the window while her children were at home asleep. it's been preellreally, really difficult to of whwatch. >> how do you feel about what she's going through right now. >> i think it might be very hard for her. >> reporter: that's libby, rachel's 9-year-old daughter. even she gets that her friend doesn't have support from both parents. and when you guys hang out, what it's it like? >> it's really fun. >> reporter: easy? >> yes. >> reporter: do you guys laugh a lot? >> yes. ro >> reporter: what do you laugh

about? >> nethere is something nice abt having a friend like you. libby doesn't have a lot of friends in texas that identify as transgender. ♪ went under a new name >> reporter: but there are other kids like 11-year-old max. max's family has been at the forefront of the battle for transgender rights here in texas. his mom amber says it began during a fight over one of those so-called bathroom bills. >> i finally realized max had been holding his bladder all day at school. and for me, that was an ah-ha moment. i sat him down, like, baby, are you using the potty at school? he's like, no. why not? the honest truth was that he felt more comfortable going in the boys room. >> reporter: at one point in 2016, amber invited conservative republican state attorney general ken paxton to dinner. >> here's an opportunity. come have dinner with us.

when you get to know someone on a personal level, it's hard it to hate up close. >> that's the key. >> it's hard to hate up close. >> they were here for almost two and a half hours. hey! this is really important. next time a piece of legislation comes across your desk. >> just remember us. remember max, keep that face in your mind. >> mm-hm. >> that's why we feel so betrayed, you know. >> he said he would. he said he'd remember. >> reporter: amber says she thought he understood their position, fwhu october, paxton's office released a letter saying the children at the center of this dispute are in immediate and irrevocable danger. we reached out to paxton's office. the response, i trust that dfps will act immediately uponur request, conduct a thorough investigation and protect this child. >> after meeting a mother like me and meeting me in my home, meeting my child, breaking bread at my table, engaging with my children, and then acting like families like mine should not

exist, it's infewuriating. >> reporter: gop lawmakers in three states, georgia, kentucky and texas are proposing legislation banning puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone under the age of 18. in some cases it would be a felony. >> you can't say that we're going to remove it as a policy matter and hope you survive the next five years. i mean, that is just gambling with people's lives. >> reporter: chase works on transgender justice for the aclu. and in recent years has become a visible advocate. >> that is essentially the state coming in and saying, what we want is for dratransgender chiln to die, because they are disregarding all the evidence that says a child needs to be affirmed and saying we are going to block that affirmation in every way that we can. >> reporter: texas republican matt kraus tweeted about proposing a similar bill there.

>> 7 years old is probably a little young to make these decisions. i think there is concern with making these life-changing decisions at an early age, before these children fully understand the consequences and ramifications of their decisions. >> reporter: the doctor says it's important for legislators to understand that some medications are not permanent. >> if they start to enter puberty and they have that distress, they may get a medication called a puberty blocker. that med kpaication is reversib and all it is, is a pause button. >> i always want to be well-manufactured on any piece of legislation i put out there. so absolutely, we want to see any and all statistics and evidence out there. >> reporter: as lawmakers keep debating, the custody battle rages on, and another motion was filed, asking the judge be removed from the case and sole custody being given back to her. >> there were some media sources

who decided to share that she had gone to school in boys clothes but that was not true. s she immediately changed into girls clothes. >> reporter: this issue has far-reaching consequences. >> it's not your life to live, it's your child's life to live. >> we thought we had an obligation to stand up for the community. >> just follow your heart and follow your child's lead, and, you know, just live a life of love and, you know, it's, it's the easiest thing in the world. >> reporter: for "nightline," kblor yeah rivera,rivera,rivera, texas. up next, the famed adventurer showing what it takes to bear the extreme. yeah i feel free ♪ tting clear, ♪ to bare my skin ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything.

keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ i see nothing in a different way ♪ ♪ and it's my moment so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs, or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine. ♪ nothing is everything ask your dermatologist about skyrizi. ♪ so nice to meet you june, jay, ji, kay, raj, and... ray! good job, brain! say hello to neuriva, a new brain supplement with clinically proven ingredients that fuel five indicators of brain performance. neuriva. [upbeat music] no matter how much you clean, does your house still smell stuffy?

that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics (bubbles popping) and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. ♪la la la la la. it's perfect. unwrap more fun this holiday with matching family pjs. plus get up to 30% off sharper image! jcpenney.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ blow a kiss, into the sun ♪ we need someone to lean on ♪ blow a kiss, into the sun ♪ all we need is somebody to lean on ♪ ♪ ♪ in the human brain, billions of nefor people with parkinson's, some neurons change their tune, causing uncontrollable tremors. now, abbott technology can target those exact neurons. restoring control and harmony, once thought to belost forever. the most personal technology is technology with the power to change your life.

? ? in? ? running wild with bear grylls. he has guts and sometimes just for breakfast, the extreme explorer teaching survival skills, now one on one with the man who turned an obstacle into the obstacle course of a lifetime. >> okay. >> one leg over. >> reporter: i mow whknow what thinking. >> i am concerned about the crocodile situation. it would be ridiculous to not be concerned about the crocodile situation. >> reporter: i'm thinking it, too. >> chest low to the rope. use your legs to balance. it will get easier. keep going, well done. >> ah! >> reporter: is this guy about

to get captain marvel eaten by a crocodile? >> now you got to go, now you got to go. one, two, three. >> ah! >> reporter: mott today. >> ah. >> good job. >> reporter: this guy, of course, is bear grylls, famed hollywood adventurer and survival expert. who's through their fingers. he's taken them on adventures in running wild with bear grylls. if you think back on everything you've eaten over the years, is there something that really sticks out to you? >> there's a long list of bad things, from raw goat's

testicles. i think the lesson for me is survival food's not going to be pretty. it's fuel. nobody ever comes around for dinner anymore. we're not coming if you're cooking. >> reporter: now on nat geo, running wild with bear grylls is entering its fifth season, pushing the limits of what we think our favorite hollywood stars can and can't do. >> can i just stay here? >> ah, it's a long way >> i want to see what i just caught. did you see that? >> reporter: for those like me, who prefer the practice of the art of armchair survival, all of this -- >> what was that? >> i don't know, but that boulder definitely moved under your feet. >> reporter: might seem a bit extreme, but for bear grylls, it's in his dna.

where did you get the nickname bear from? >> i was teddy. everybody was like, did you wrestle a bear when you were young? it's more that i had an older, bossy sister who said ted is such a boring name, we're going to call you bear. >> reporter: growing up in england, his love for the outdoors first came from bonding trips with his dad michael. >> i've got three young boys. it's a great privilege to show them how to manage themselves in situations in the outdoors. >> reporter: those survival skills sharpened to a point by the military. did you want to go in because of your dad? >> yeah, of course. he was a marine, how can i do one better? i got to join the british special forces. to me, it was a great outlook to live an adventurous life. >> reporter: but a tragic parachuting accident cut his service short. >> broke my back in three different places.

had to leave the army after htht because i couldn't do the job in the way i had before, and just slowly trying to rebuild my life. >> reporter: down but not out, bear attacked his injury head on. just 18 months after a skydiving accident, he became one of the youngest people ever to summit mt. everest. >> everest, really a symbolic thing for me. i'm going to get strong again, i'm going to learn to walk again, climb again, and stand on the top of the world. and on the back of that, the tv door opened. >> my name is bear grylls. i'm about to undertake my toughest challenge yet. >> reporter: his first show escape the legion appeared in 2005. >> i never knew anything about tv. and i just wanted to keep climbing and doing the expeditions and try and raise money and get sponsors and keep going on that road, and i might never make any money, but it's going to be an adventure.

>> reporter: his first major u.s. show, man versus wild, ran for five seasons and launched bear as the go-to television adventurer for the millennial generation. >> i'd meet them in the streets and they'd say when i said in that jungle, smile when it's raining. i understood that as a single mum, bringing up kids or doing four jobs. the wild is a great mirror on life of how to have kind of drive and survive and dig deep in big moment. and i'm always trying to keep it on that. it's the wild built here, it can empower you and test you. and that really was the beating heart to running wild. these people had never done anything like this outside their hollywood bubble. look, the wild won't judge you, but it will test you. come for the adventure. >> reporter: adventure mixed with those moments that make you oh, so gloriously uncomfortable.

bear's gut-wrenching feats of gas tron any became legend. >> many times i've got it wrong and things, i've ended up sick and, you know, i've looked back over the years on the many, you know, the episodes that we've done all over the place, and after it's gone wrong and i've hung offer the rock face with diarrhea, and the camera's still rolling, it's fine. i've never minded the mistakes. >> you squeezed its heart out. >> that's many things, but that's not a heart. >> i've got smarter, you know stay agray that one. and never get complacent. it's always the little things that come and trip you up. >> sorry, mom. >> we're not looking down. >> oh, no. we would never look down. >> reporter: now, after more than a decade on television. >> i can't. >> one, two. >> reporter: bear is back to his usual ways once again.

for "nightline," i'm will karr. >> you're alive. >> i'm alive. >> you can watch running wild with bear grylls every tuesday night on the nat geochannel at 10:00/9:00 central. and next, the message behind these wings. even if it means being the back half of a unicorn. fear not fred! the front half washed his shirt with gain detergent. that's the scent that puts the giddy in giddy up! ahhh. the irresistible scent of gain. for a scent with even more giddy up, try gain scent blast in detergent, fabric softener and scent beads. so nice to meet you june, jay, ji, kay, raj, and... ray! good job, brain! say hello to neuriva, a new brain supplement with clinically proven ingredients that fuel five indicators of brain performance. neuriva.

of millions of americans during the recession. so, my wife kat and i took action. we started a non-profit community bank with a simple theory - give people a fair deal and real economic power. invest in the community, in businesses owned by women and people of color, in affordable housing. the difference between words and actions matters. that's a lesson politicians in washington could use right now. i'm tom steyer, and i approve this message. red lobster's endless shrimp is back for just fifteen ninety nine. get all the shrimp you want, any way you want 'em. like new sriracha-honey shrimp,... ...savory grilled teriyaki shrimp,... ...classic shrimp scampi and more! red lobster's endless shrimp ends november 17th. hurry in.

wean air force veteran made of doing what's right,. not what's easy. so when a hailstorm hit, usaa reached out before he could even inspect the damage. that's how you do it right. usaa insurance is made just the way martin's family needs it - with hassle-free claims, he got paid before his neighbor even got started. because doing right by our members, that's what's right. usaa. what you're made of, we're made for. usaa

okconnected to wifi,on. protected from threats. thermostat - connected, protected. speaker, space vacuum... [ whispering ] connected, protected. shh. eh, this is not connected or protected. but, that's a family heirloom. and, it's a family security breach. it's gotta go. with xfinity xfi, if it's connected, it's protected. pull the truck around. simple. easy. awesome. get more out of your in-home wifi experience with xfinity internet and ask about enhanced network security for all your connected devices. click, call or visit a store today.

and finally tonight, butterflies are free. a new sculpture has taken flight in new york city. visual artist, the husband of sam champion, created a 10-foot-high butterfly in celebration of the transgender

and gender non-conforming community. >> i made it after someone else will live or die, fighting for the dreams or for the dreams of others. >> this one is named after a 42-year-old transgender woman murdered in brazil. >> i want to give wings to the people, wings to the imagination. >> november is transgender awareness month. that, just one message of hope. it was dr. martin luther king jr. who said we must never lose infinite hope. that's "nightline." you can always catch our full