I’m a cis woman. I’m better off when trans women are recognized as women, too.

September 27, 2017Leave a comment

“No serious person contends that transgender and cisgender women move through the world in identical ways from the moment they are born, simply that the term “woman” can include the different obstacles and socialization we each must face. We could keep conducting a fruitless and painful argument about whether those differences mean transgender women ought to be denied citizenship in women’s country once they come out. Or we could take a close look at what both cisgender women — those whose sense of their gender identity corresponds to their physical body — and transgender women have to gain from embracing each other, and all the different ways it’s possible to be a woman.”

Stanford Launches Short Online Course to Boost Understanding of Transgender Kids

September 27, 2017Leave a comment

In 2011, Stanford Medicine lecturer Maya Adam, MD, had just finished teaching her undergraduate course on critical issues in child health when a student approached her with some feedback. “I loved your class, but you are missing one issue,” the student said. “You need a lecture on transgender children’s health.”

Adam’s response was “You’re right … but I know so little about that.” Her own medical training had never mentioned transgender children; she was unsure what difficulties they faced. Adam soon realized this knowledge gap was common, not just among physicians but also among teachers and other professionals who work with kids.

Capture Bonding: How I Both Need and Grieve My Gender Transition

September 27, 2017Leave a comment

If we were to believe the dominant narratives around gender transition, we could only conclude that it’s a magical, affirming, and life-giving process. With these stories—and the glorious “before and after” photos that accompany them—we’re told that the uncomplicated truth of transition is that when the transformation is complete, we emerge on the other side whole and shimmering.

I am not whole, nor am I shimmering.

I often wonder: Can it be true that I can’t inhabit this body anymore—with its curves and parts that alienate me—but am still bonded to it? Top surgery is on the horizon for me. While I can’t fathom living the rest of my life with this chest, a part of me is grieving this loss. These curves were always guests (never residents), but their absence still means something to me.

Are You Respecting Your Transgender Loved Ones?

June 20, 2017Leave a comment

“When I first came out as transgender, I was surprised to find that many people in my life wanted to support me. I received a lot of encouraging words, often from the folks I least expected.

It meant the world to me to be surrounded by people who just wanted me to be myself and be happy! In a society that can often be so hostile towards transgender people, having loved ones in our corner can make all the difference.

But I quickly realized that there’s a distinction between stating your support and actually respecting my identity. A lot of people talked the talk – but that didn’t always translate when it came to actions.”

See the tips here.

Becoming the Parent of a Trans Child

January 20, 2016Leave a comment

Learning the ins-and-outs of parenting a transgender child is made easier by the recent outpouring of stories, suggestions, and advice from families all over the world who are making the journey with their loved ones. This article gives us a beautiful glimpse into the lives of one family.

“……Then one day “Kendra” told them that “she” was gay. Not many months after that, “she” asked to be called “Kasey” which would eventually become Ashur. From there it progressed to cutting. It became so bad that they took “her” to the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

While there, they suggested that Ken and his family sweep Ashur’s room for anything unusual.

What they found was a suicide note.

This is the moment they learned that their son was Transgender.

They confronted Ashur and learned that he had indeed already attempted his plan weeks ago and it had failed. The note made clear that if Ashur couldn’t be who he felt inside, there was no point in living.

Take heed of that. When a person is making it known that they wish to take their own life, they are asking for help. When they say nothing, they’ve given up hope.”

Read the whole article here.

Girl Scouts is for Every Girl

January 13, 2016Leave a comment

It’s cookie season! This article from last year (2015) highlights one of the many reasons to support the Troupes!

Girl Scouts Choose Transgender Girls Over $100,000 Donation

“In 2012, when she headed the organization’s Colorado council, a 7-year-old transgender girl in Denver was denied entry to a troop. Although the council had never specifically said that it accepted transgender girls, the national organization had always made inclusivity the foundation of its mission. So after checking with the council’s attorney, Ferland issued a public statement welcoming transgender girls and explaining that the council was working to find a troop for the girl who’d been rejected. “Every girl that is a Girl Scout is a Girl Scout because her parent or guardian brings her to us and says, ‘I want my child to participate,’” Ferland says. “And I don’t question whether or not they’re a girl.”

The Forsaken

November 25, 2015Leave a comment

“For LGBT kids who remain homeless, the stakes are clearly life and death. They are seven times more likely than their straight counterparts to be the victims of a crime, often a violent one. Studies have shown they are more than three times more likely to engage in survival sex – for which shelter is the payment more often than cash. They are more likely to lack access to medical care, more likely to attempt suicide, more likely to use hard drugs and more likely to be arrested for survival crimes. According to the Equity Project, leaving home because of family rejection is the single greatest predictor of involvement with the juvenile-justice system for LGBT youth. And for so many of these outcomes, the clock starts ticking the moment a kid hits the streets. “We know we have 24 to 48 hours to get to them before they do anything illegal – whether it’s selling drugs, stealing or prostitution,” says Westbrook. “It’s a survival thing. In America, we lose six queer kids a day to the street. That’s every four hours a queer kid dies, whether it be from freezing to death or getting the shit beat out of them or a drug overdose. This is our next real plague.”

Read the full article on Rolling Stone

Twelve Transformative Trans Folks

November 19, 2015Leave a comment

Check out this fantastic illustration highlighting the work of twelve trans activists who are changing the world, day by day.

Click here to see the whole thing!

Helping Trans Kids at School

August 6, 2015Leave a comment

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has published “Schools In Transition,” a guide to creating and maintaining safe and supportive environments for transgender children in schools.

The guide is part of their larger “Welcoming Schools” campaign, and is supplemented by a comprehensive website with activities, discussion points, talking points, lesson plans, professional development, workshops and public events, guides for working with families, blogs, local resources, and so much more.

“We could not be more proud of this partnership with other leaders dedicated to creating safe, supportive schools for transgender students,” said Ellen Kahn, Director of HRC Foundation’s Children, Youth and Families Program. “This groundbreaking publication will provide in-depth and practical guidance for school administrators, counselors, teachers, and parents––all of whom are key to ensuring that transgender children can learn and thrive at school.”

Explore the guide here.

Dr. Karen McDowell

Author + Educator + Speaker + Therapist

Tag: transgender

Capture Bonding: How I Both Need and Grieve My Gender Transition