To be the parent my trans kid needed, I had to get updated and learn—fast—without putting that burden on my son.

​

My approach was to follow trans people on Twitter (though I listened and did not engage because that work is not their work either), read, read and the read some more, get familiar with organizations focused on trans justice.

​

Note: Do you have resources to add to this list? Let’s talk.

​

Trans Content Creators

Erin in the Morning: Erin is a great resource for information on the latest legislative news around trans rights. I subscribe to her Substack to stay up-to-date on what's happening and for in-depth and relevant analysis.

​

Ari's Threads: Ari Drennen is the LGBTQ Program Director at Media Matters. This Substack celebrates living authentically, and covers breaking news.

​

The Present Age: Parker Molloy's thoughtful and often straight-to-the-point analysis cuts through the noise and has often helped me think more deeply and with more honesty, which is a crucial part of my own personal growth around advocacy.

​

Charlotte's Web Thoughts: Charlotte Clymer talks religion, politics and culture.

​

Laser.breems: When I saw this instagram post from Bree Christianson, tears welled up in my eyes. My trans son was well on his way in his own transition, and seeing this just made my heart swell.

​

Laverne Cox: I first came to know Laverne Cox from her work on Orange Is the New Black. She is a creator and artist who speaks with passion and compassion.

​

Raquel Willis: Activist and author, Willis always pushes me to think better and with more clarity.

​

Jeffrey Marsh: Jeffrey's soft, gentle voice and their ability bring calm and clarity with just a few short thoughts is a real gift.

​​

Trans/Gender Organizations

​

Gender Spectrum: This organization has great information about gender diverse and trans people/kids, from parenting to the educational environment.

​

GLSEN: This organization is specific to the education environment, but most the information can be generalized to everyday life/interactions.

​

GLAAD: The focus of this organization is generally media and pushing back against defamatory coverage of the LGBTQ+ community.

​

Brave Space Alliance: Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center on Chicago’s South side. Because BIPOC trans kids/people often experience the most discrimination and violence, supporting Brave Space Alliance is important.

​

Books/Articles/

​

Whipping Girl by Julia Serano was pivotal for me.

​

Julia Serano is very generous with information and educating in the content she shares on her website.

​

Chase Strangio, a lawyer with the ACLU, offers honest, eye-opening assessments of trans issues and was also pivotal in helping me better understand how to advocate for my kid.

​

Ivan Coyote and Gender Failure were also formative for me as I learned how my trans kids may be experiencing himself and the world.

​

I found Katelyn Burns early in my kid’s journey, too. This piece on 9 questions about trans issues is a good one.

​

Visible Cues

My kid loves to see visible cues of allyship, one of the first and best ones we’ve found are #illgowithyou buttons. I wear these everywhere and pass them out, too.