Yesterday, the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services released a 409-page report on transgender youth health care entitled "Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices." LOTS to unpack in this report, and I honestly haven't had time to read all 409 pages yet, but it mainly advocates for "gender exploratory therapy" (aka conversion therapy) over established gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. Notably, the report lists...
13 days ago • 1 min read
For allies, increasing our understanding and support of transgender people, including kids, involves a degree of humility. We have to humble that part of ourselves that needs to be right, needs to know, and needs to be in control. And that’s not easy to do. It’s not easy to recognize that what you thought was true about the world maybe wasn’t the entire picture and maybe even wrong. Sometimes we get in our bubbles and have a hard time seeing past our own experiences. It can even be helpful...
16 days ago • 1 min read
The Texas Round-Up Events and happenings around the Lone Star State Hey Reader - it's Texas legislative season! And you know what that means ... lots of anti-LGBTQ+ bills. According to Equality Texas's bill tracker, there are more than 200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills runnin' wild through the Capitol right now. And lots of those have to do with gender stuff, transgender adults, and trans kids. I know that's scary. The good news is that the legislative system is designed to "kill" bills. So not all of...
19 days ago • 2 min read
Last week, a mom of an LGBTQ+ kiddo reached out wanting advice about becoming more active in supporting families with trans kids (good job, mom!). One stumbling block she faces in her circle of friends is questions about medical transition, and she wanted more information so she could readily articulate answers to those questions. I gave her some high-level talking points that could be useful in conversation: Medical transition only happens at or after puberty. No children are receiving...
20 days ago • 1 min read
At the beginning of this month, President Trump made an inflammatory proclamation regarding National Child Abuse Prevention Month. No one would argue with preventing child abuse. However, Trump's only example of child abuse in the proclamation was “the sinister threat of gender ideology." Well, that stings. Affirming your child's gender identity is absolutely not child abuse. Regarding affirming trans kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, "All children deserve love, acceptance, and...
27 days ago • 1 min read
Reader, we have a treat for you from our friends at Pride Socks! Pride Socks sells apparel that spreads love, pride, respect, and inclusion, changing the world from the feet up. I recently had the chance to meet the compassionate Pride Socks founder, Rachel, and can assure you that this is a super cool company with high-quality apparel (more than just socks!). Rachel has given the Parents of Trans Youth community a 15% discount on the whole website! Use the code translove when checking out...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Feeling unsure or anxious about parenting a trans kiddo? Most of us didn’t learn about gender diversity growing up. For many of us, our child might be the first trans person we’ve met! (at least, that we knew of) So you’ve got to do some homework. One of the first steps is educating yourself and finding resources. Just a few super helpful books: 📚Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When You Weren't Expecting This by Rebecca Minor (pre-order!) 📚My Child is Trans, Now What?: A Joy-Centered...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
If you missed the last "Parenting Trans Kids in Tough Times" webinar, you're in luck, because Part II is just around the corner! Join us for Parenting Trans Kids in Tough Times: Find Your People on April 10 from 4-6pm PDT / 6-8pm CDT. It’s a tough time for transgender people and those of you who love and support them, as hateful anti-trans messaging and policy-making seek to drive them back out of public life. But trans people have a long history of mobilizing resources and fighting for...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Parents of Trans Youth had a table at a Trans Day of Visibility event in Houston this week, and toward the end of the event, someone approached our table to tell me about her company's services. She was certain that her medical services would benefit transgender folks and wanted our families to know about her business. She was in strong promotional mode - nothing inherently wrong with that - but in an effort to connect with me or maybe to demonstrate the value of her services, she asked some...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read