Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth
Last month, I presented at the Rye Public Library on how to raise, affirm, and support queer and transgender youth in your communities. A full link to the presentation and discussion is available on the Rye Library’s website. This blog provides a condensed version of my presentation and a host of resources to help you along the way.
Before diving into resources, I’d like to pose a few questions for reflection, discussion, journaling, or creative response.
How did you experiment or self-image with your identity as a young person?
How did you know what was safe to experiment and express? How did you know what wasn’t?
What messages did you learn about identity growing up? How do they impact you now?
What are youth, queer or otherwise, learning from my actions, language, and expectations?
Children begin exploring self-expression, preferences, and independence as young as 1.5 years old. Guilt, shame, and purpose (Am I good or bad? What am I supposed to do?) emerge during preschool years and continue to develop complexity and nuance through grade school. By age 12, adolescents are exploring who they are outside of their families and childhood communities. Even as adults, we are always developing new interests, trying out new styles, and re-aligning our values and priorities through different stages of life.
As adults raising or supporting children, our role is to provide encouragement and a safe ‘landing place’ to return to while young people explore who they want to be, what they want to look like, and what is important to them. When we leave societal expectations such as gender roles, expected heterosexuality, and conformity with traditional means of expression, we provide a judgement-free zone for young people to flourish without shame, fear, or a feeling of ‘otherness.’
As we navigate an ever-expanding definition of queerness, transness, and equity in society, here are some resources for education, queer community, media representation, and professional development.
Resources for Access and Information About Trans-Affirming Healthcare
Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children by the Human Rights Campaign, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians
Gender-Affirming Care and Young People by the US Department of Health and Human Services
Find an Affirming Doctor through the GLMA Provider Directory or OutCare Health
Family-Friendly Resources in the Seacoast Area
Seacoast Outright (and Portsmouth Pride on June 25th)
Arts in Reach (for teenage girls and gender-expansive youth)
Teatotaller (a queer-owned cafe and event space with locations in Somersworth and Concord)
The Outboard (an email newsletter for monthly queer events of all kinds)
Lezhang (community for adult queer women and gender expansive people on the Seacoast)
National and At-Home Resources
Lambda Legal’s Resources for LGBTQ Youth by State
The Trevor Project (crisis support and resource center for LGBTQ+ mental health and education)
PFLAG (parent/family support and advocacy through local chapters)
Gender Spectrum (resources for anything anybody could possibly want related to gender)
Children’s and Teen Shows with Queer Representation
Resources for Professionals Working with Children and Youth
GLSEN Educator Resources (guides, lesson plans, advocacy resources, and professional development)
Learning for Justice (professional development, and lesson plans on a myriad of social justice topics)
National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center (resources, and consulting for healthcare organizations)
The Safe Zone Project (ally training workshops and resources)
ACA LGBTQ+ Knowledge Center and NASW LGBTQ (counseling-based resources)
There is a myriad of information out there and it can appear overwhelming. There’s no wrong place to start, no required timeline, and plenty of people who would love to help you commit your knowledge to the action of allyship. Happy Pride, my friends!