Meet the Houston 8-year-old standing up to Abbott, for trans kids, at Biden's State of the Union

Sunny Bryant can do tricks on her roller skates, crochet and play violin, and if she could be famous for something, she would like it to be for her jokes.

"Why was 6 afraid of 7?" she'll ask you. "Because 7 8 9."

But at least for now, the 8-year-old is better known as an utterly upbeat and outspoken advocate for equality and justice for transgender children like herself. She took multiple trips with her mother to Austin to address lawmakers during the repeatedly extended Texas legislative session.

On Tuesday, the Houston third-grader squealed when she was introduced by name during a session of U.S. House of Representatives and was very happy the topic of trans kids came up when she and her family virtually attended the State of the Union as honored guests of U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia.

The Houston Democrat, who represents the area where Sunny and her family live, said such young leaders "inspire us all." Garcia said she was proud to invite Sunny to attend what is generally considered the president's most important speech of the year. The congresswoman told the Houston Chronicle, "Even through politically-charged attacks on Texas' trans youth by Governor Greg Abbott, she remains a bright and strong voice for Houston children."

Abbott, a Republican incumbent battling conservative primary challengers, has made it clear amid a series of formal opinions by Attorney General Ken Paxton that he thinks parents who support gender-affirming care for transgender children should be treated as child abusers. Paxton's non-binding opinion last week followed multiple failed attempts by Republicans state lawmakers to pass measures that would punish parents and health care providers who support gender-affirming care for transgender children.

Although medical associations support such interventions, the governor has said he considers it child abuse to allow transgender children access to medicine that slows the onset of puberty or hormone treatments that help older children develop into bodies that match their identities. Abbott and Paxton both refer to these parents as supporting "genital mutilation," a notion many experts in LGBT health care have said indicates a gross misunderstanding of what medical procedures are actually offered to children.