Books
Becoming Nicole by Amy Ellis Nut: When Wayne and Kelly Maines adopted identical twin boys, they thought their lives were complete. But by the time Jonas and Wyatt were toddlers, confusion over Wyatt’s insistence that he was female began to tear the family apart. In the years that followed, the Maineses came to question their long-held views on gender and identity, to accept Wyatt’s transition to Nicole, and to undergo a wrenching transformation of their own, the effects of which would reverberate through their entire community.
Gender: Your Guide. A Gender-Friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture by Lee Airton: From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them, to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide serves as “a warm, inviting guide to a complicated area” (The Globe and Mail, Toronto). Professor and gender diversity advocate Lee Airton, PhD, explains how gender works in everyday life; how to use accurate terminology to refer to transgender, non-binary, and/or gender non-conforming individuals; and how to ask when you aren’t sure what to do or say. It provides the information you need to talk confidently and compassionately about gender diversity, whether simply having a conversation or going to bat as an advocate.
I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings: From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl’s brain in a boy’s body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn’t feel like herself in boys’ clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz’s story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers.
It Feels Good to Be Yourself by Theresa Thorn: Some people are boys. Some people are girls. Some people are both, neither, or somewhere in between. This sweet, straightforward exploration of gender identity will give children a fuller understanding of themselves and others. With child-friendly language and vibrant art, It Feels Good to Be Yourself provides young readers and parents alike with the vocabulary to discuss this important topic with sensitivity.
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall: This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone!
The Reflective Workbook for Parents and Families of Transgender and Non-Binary Children by D.M. Maynard: This innovative workbook discusses the unique needs of parents and families as they navigate their child’s gender exploration. Providing a safe space for them to work through their own uncertainties and necessities, it gives specifically tailored guidance and support, with sections on school life, language and terminology, finding a therapist, possible grief, social/medical intervention options and more. Personal anecdotes from parents and other family members offer insight and understanding, alongside reflective activities, quizzes and positive affirmations throughout.
Trans Kids and Teens: Pride, Joy, and Families in Transition by Elijah C. Nealy: Nealy, a therapist and former deputy executive director of New York City’s LGBT Community Center, and himself a trans man, has written the first-ever comprehensive guide to understanding, supporting, and welcoming trans kids. Covering everything from family life to school and mental health issues, as well as the physical, social, and emotional aspects of transition, this book is full of best practices to support trans kids.
Transgender 101: A Simple Guide to a Complex Issue by Nicholas M. Teich: Each chapter explains how transgender individuals handle their gender identity, how others view it within the context of non-transgender society, and how the transitioning of genders is made possible. Featuring men who become women, women who become men, and those who live in between and beyond traditional classifications, this book is written for students, professionals, friends, and family members.
The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals by Stephanie A. Brill and Rachel Pepper: This guidebook explores the unique challenges that thousands of families face every day raising their children in every city and state. Through extensive research and interviews, as well as years of experience working in the field, the authors cover gender variance from birth through college. What do you do when your toddler daughter’s first sentence is that she’s a boy? What do doctors specializing in gender variant children recommend? What do the therapists say? How can I best raise my gender variant or transgender child with love and compassion, even when I barely understand the issues ahead of us? And what is gender, anyway? These questions and more are answered in this book offering a deeper understanding of gender variant and transgender children and teens.
The Transgender Guidebook: Keys to a Successful Transition by Anne L. Boedecker, PhD.: A wise and practical guide for any transgender person considering or embarking on a gender transition. It covers everything from the beginning stages of exploration and planning through the process of transformation to life after transition. This is the first book written by an experienced professional specifically for transgender clients.
The Transgender Teen: A Handbook for Parents and Professionals Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Teens by Stephanie A. Brill and Lisa Kenney: Is it just a phase, a fad, or a real issue with your teen? This comprehensive guidebook explores the unique challenges that thousands of families face every day raising a teenager who may be transgender, gender-variant or gender-fluid.
Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture by Mark A. Yarhouse: Yarhouse, an expert in sexual identity and therapy, offers a Christian perspective on transgender issues that eschews simplistic answers and appreciates the psychological and theological complexity. The result is a book that engages the latest research while remaining pastorally sensitive to the experiences of each person. In the midst of a tense political climate, Yarhouse calls Christians to come alongside those on the margins and stand with them as they resolve their questions and concerns about gender identity.
Trading Places: When Our Son Became a Daughter by Jane Baker: This memoir recounts one mother’s struggle to come to terms with her grown up transsexual daughter. When she learned that her adult son planned to become a daughter, she felt like her child was heading for disaster and she desperately tried to stop the transition. As time progressed, her efforts to stop it led her to learn more and more about transsexualism instead. She also became increasingly aware that her child was happier and more confident as a woman, had more friends than ever before, and in some inexplicable way, actually seemed more “normal.” However, Baker’s own transition was not so easy. She describes a poetic transfer of dissonance: “I watched my son disappear; it felt like he had died and an entirely different person emerged to replace him. As my child became whole, I became more dissonant. It was as though we were trading places.”
Websites
- Feminist Women’s Health Center Trans Health Initiative: Since 2000, Feminist Women’s Health Center has offered sensitive, friendly, and affordable health care to transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex individuals. They currently provide care to trans men, gender non-conforming, and intersex clients from across the Southern states. While they do offer some services for trans women, they are actively working to expand that aspect of their program.
- The Genderbread Person: A teaching tool for breaking the big concept of gender down into bite-sized, digestible pieces.
- Georgia Equality: Georgia Equality’s mission is to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and our allies throughout the state of Georgia.
- PFLAG National: The first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies. With nearly 400 chapters and 250,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, PFLAG is committed to creating a world where diversity is celebrated and all people are respected, valued, and affirmed.
- QMed: Dr. Izzy Lowell, a Family Medicine Physician based in Atlanta, started QMed to improve access to hormone therapy for trans patients across the Southeast. QMed welcomes gender expansive patients of all ages!
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people through crisis services, peer support, research, public education, and advocacy.
- UCSF Transgender Care: The UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program is a multidisciplinary program consisting of experts in transgender medicine and surgery at UCSF Medical Center. Their aim is to provide evidence-based, cutting-edge clinical care for transgender and gender non-binary communities, as well as to conduct pioneering research and train the next generation of medical providers on all aspects of gender-affirming clinical care.
- WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health): WPATH is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health. Their professional, supporting, and student members engage in clinical and academic research to develop evidence-based medicine and strive to promote a high quality of care for transsexual, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals internationally.
Counseling Services
For a list of LGBTQ+ supportive counselors and social workers, please contact us. We are happy to share a list with you to receive affirming care.