Dictionary

Body dysmorphia

Bottom surgery

Conversion therapy (-)

Cross-dressing

Desister/ desistance

Gender (identity) dysphoria (GID)

Gender chromosome 

Gender euphoria

Gender expression

Gender identity

Gender reassignment surgery

Hormone (replacement) therapy (HRT)

Intersex

Mental disorder

Non-binary - bigendered, agendered, gender-nonconforming, gender queer

Oxydative stress

Partial transition

Persister/ persistence

Puberty blockers

Rapid onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) - coined by Lisa Littman (Institution for Comprehensive Gender Dysphoria Research)

Reparative therapy (-)

Sex hormone

Sterility/ fertility

Transgender

Transition

Transphobic/ transphobe

Transsexual 

Transvestism

Non-Medication Social Intervention

Gender-affirming could start with social intervention before hormone therapy and wayyy before surgeries.

Here is a link for Child Gender Dysphoria Quiz. It is a very short one with just eight questions.

https://www.psycom.net/quizzes/child-gender-dysphoria-test

Here are a few things we could try as soon as possible:

  -  Consistent, insistent, and persistent communication about gender dysphoria

  -  Use the name and pronoun they prefer, that align with their (internal) gender identity

  -  Check with school and teachers to see what they could do to support

  -  Encourage them to stand up for themselves (trans are among the bravest people)

  -  Assure unconditional love and support by listening and being there

  -  Do everyday little things to reduce the impacts of gender dysphoria / body dysmorphia

       +  Steam up to cover the bathroom mirror

       +  Use big sponges for bathing

       +  Cuddle a pillow while sleeping

       +  Point out positive things about the body

       +  Express feelings (notes, diary, blog, art)

       +  Talk to someone (best friend, family, therapist)

       +  Watch Vloggers with relatable issues (transgender, body dysmorphia)

       +  Wear clothing and accessories for gender-affirming purpose 

       +  Make personal plans (both short-term and long-term)

       +  Exercise and do physical activities (including chores) to improve moods

       +  Stimulate all senses from everyday items (smell, vision, hearing...)

       +  Avoid places and people that are depressing

       +  Escape once in a while (a game, a show, a long bubble bath, a walk...)

       +  Connect with nature (hiking, running, gardening, walking the dog...)

       +  Stay busy (SAT, personal or family projects, teen jobs, tests...)

       +  Go to bed early (no devices, no social media...)

       +  Keep a well-balanced diet with a lot of vegetables, fruits, supplemental vitamins

Pride Fest

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_parade

Pride Parade and Pride Festival debuted in 1970 in memorial of a 1969 event in Manhattan (NYC) with the original focus of gay rights. At its 52th year, Pride Festival now not only celebrate LGBT+ community (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, queers, asexuals, plus...) but also encourages social and self acceptance, achievements, legal rights, human rights, and *pride*. Pride Fest is usually in late June, but where we live, the city chose to celebrate July as the Pride Month.

I have always known from groups I am a member of, that being an ally is, in some way, still being an outsider. Here are some examples.

I am on/ in several committees to promote equity, inclusion and diversity, and typically, we immediately think of racial equality for the minorities (which is a narrow definition). I have seen white allies being accused for making insensitive statements or misunderstanding the non-whites. I have also felt most efforts are spent on African-Americans and not on other minorities such as Indigenous or even Asians.

I listened to a podcast interviewing Danielle Ponder, a rising song writer-singer from Rochester, New York, and even though she became a full-time singer at the age of 39, she used to be a public defender and the reason was, when she was very young, her brother violated the "three-strike law" in New York and had to go to prison for 20 years for three misdemeanors he committed. She saw it from inside out.

I took my child to Pride Fest this year as the first major activity towards gender-affirming. We were in Manhattan, NYC right by Pride Fest in June 2021, and I did not really know what it was or did I care too much. Ally to me means supporting the community to have their freedom while I mind my own business. This year, though, I moved from the front-row audience to being on the stage. My shy child hid away behind a tree, but peeking with curiosity and excitement beaming in their eyes.

B.UR.SLF Resources

https://www.burslfllc.com/faq/

Be Ur Self was started with trans men Elliott and Mom Gayle where they offer solutions for the overlapping between transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming community, and the cosplay community. 

They offer two things:

- Some accessories for the specific cosplay needs of trans

- A blog with opinions and resources for trans and their families

Specifically, they have amazing lists of state-by-state health care resources and HRT clinics.

States covered so far: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Utah.

Trans Medical Care across States

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/03/10/texas-trans-kids-abortion-lgbtq-gender-ideology/

List of states denying essential medical care to trans youths.

~ conservatives are increasingly imposing government control over sexuality and gender ~  

What happened in Texas?

Feb 2022 - Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued a letter to Texas state health agencies announcing that delivering gender-affirming medical treatment to transgender youths "constitutes child abuse" under state law.

It stipulates that doctors, nurses, and teachers are legally now required to report parents who aid their child in receiving such care to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and its investigative arm, Child Protective Services.

The directive followed a non-binding opinion by a Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton (R), that some "sex-change" procedures and the prescribing of puberty-blockers to certain children is "child abuse" under Texas law.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has sued Texas to prevent implementation.

A Texas judge has partially blocked enforcement. The ruling was done by District Judge Amy Clark Meachum in Travis County (larger Austin). Paxton later appealed to a state appellate court but the effort was rejected and he said he would take his battle to the Texas Supreme Court.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement indicating that denying trans youths health care is discriminatory and illegal under federal law.

What is happening across United States?

More than a dozen state legislatures are considering legislation that could ban access to medical treatment for trans youths. 

It has been a decade of politically motivated anti-trans lawmaking in the US. 

Since 2020, those policies have overwhelmingly targeting trans youths.

Since 2021, nearly 20 states passed bans on trans youths competing in school-sponsored athletics (see map).

In Oct 2021, Texas House Bill 25 was passed which requires public school students competing in interscholastic athlete competitions based solely on their assigned sex at birth.

In Jan-Feb 2022, dozens of proposals were introduced to further restrict access to sports teams, health care, and teachers discussing LGBT+ issues. 

Mar 2022, Iowa House File 2416 passed a law banning trans girls from girls' interscholastic sports teams. Similarly, Indiana House Bill 1041 was also passed. 

https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/sports_participation_bans

 

"Child Abuse" in Texas

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/28/1083235665/transgender-kids-in-texas-face-challenges-accessing-gender-affirming-health-care

February 2022.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott directed the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) to investigate parents who allow gender-affirming health care.

They say it falls under a new interpretation of child abuse.

Many transgender kids and their families in Texas may become targets.

The Texas Legislature already tried to ban transgender kids from accessing puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries with two failed bills in 2021.

Those bills sought to charge parents with child abuse for letting their kids access treatments that the medical community largely agrees can be lifesaving.

Trans kids face higher rates of suicide, anxiety, gender dysphoria, and mental health issues, that could get better after starting hormone therapy.

Now, instead of passing a new bill, they are trying to interpret existing laws in a new way - considering these treatments child abuse, as gender-affirming surgery constitutes (genital) mutilation.

District attorneys in some blue counties will likely refuse to prosecute parents or clinics. While there are yet no real, live people involved, this may force trans kids, already an invisible minority, to hide even further to protect their families from legal actions and allegations of child abuse. 

A study from the Stanford University School of Medicine found that transgender people who began hormone treatment in adolescence had fewer thoughts of suicide, were less likely to experience major mental health disorders and had fewer problems with substance abuse than those who started hormone later in life.

FYI - back in April 2021

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/04/20/texas-transgender-health-care-restrictions/

- House Bill 1399, advanced by the House Public Health Committee, would prohibit health care providers and physicians from performing gender confirmation surgery or prescribing, administering, or supplying puberty blockers or hormone treatment to anyone under the age of 18.  

https://openstates.org/tx/bills/87/HB1399/

- Senate Bill 1311, by Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, advanced by the Senate State Affairs Committee, passed with 18-13 vote and then failed in the House - would revoke the medical license of health care providers and physicians who perform such procedures or prescribe such drugs or hormones to people younger than 18.

https://openstates.org/tx/bills/87/SB1311/ 

Gender-Care Clinic Locator for Adolescences

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has a great locator for Clinical Care Programs for Gender-Expansive Children and Adolescences here (and they are willing to update/ add new or missing locations if you report to them).

https://www.hrc.org/resources/interactive-map-clinical-care-programs-for-gender-nonconforming-children-and-adolescences

The states without one are Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Delaware, and New Hampshire.

The states with most are California (9), New York (5), Pennsylvania (5), Ohio (5), Massachusetts (4), Maryland (3).

The cities with most are San Francisco (5), Los Angeles-Irvine (3), New York City (3), Boston (3), Cleveland (2), Philly (2), Amherst (2).