There’s a lot of work to do, there’s no doubt about it. We need to help enact changes across the board to make our schools, communities, and medical centers more affirming places for transgender children. We can’t do it without your support, and we can’t do it all, that’s why Living with Change has developed four focus areas. These focus areas will act as a road map to help guide our strategic mission to foster competence and acceptance through change.
Parenting is a tough job. You want to protect your child from the rest of the world, and help them grow to be the best they can be. When you’re the parent of transgender child, there are unique challenges. We’re committed to providing resources and programs for parents of transgender youth so that you can learn and grow with us and, ultimately, be your child’s strongest supporter, biggest ally, and toughest advocate.
Our transgender sons and daughters spend as much time at school as they do at home, yet many times their schools aren’t adequately prepared to support them. At best, well-intentioned teachers may feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. At worst, school districts will actively hinder an accepting environment for transgender youth. We’ll partner with education leaders to develop age appropriate curriculum for teachers to use in the classroom, and we’ll work with school districts to enact positive policies that make our sons and daughters feel welcome in the place they go to learn and grow.
It’s a sad fact that almost 50% of transgender youth have seriously thought about attempting suicide at some point in their lives. It’s an absolutely unacceptable statistic. This must change, and we have to work to make our children feel loved and accepted. In some cases, it can be as simple as letting them know they aren’t alone by providing fun, guided opportunities for them to interact and grow with each other. Where we can’t provide the programming ourselves, we’ll work to provide scholarships and other opportunities to attend existing retreats and camps for transgender youth. Every child deserves to feel like they belong.
It shouldn’t be political. We’re talking about children, their education and their livelihood. Sadly, the right for transgender children to have same access to safe schools, public places, and healthcare has been made political. So we’ll work to meet policy makers to put a face on the issue. We’ll work to change existing policies, prevent discriminatory ones, and promote policies that help transgender youth get the start in life we all deserve.
For transgender youth and their families, receiving the proper medical care is a fight against the clock. Medical professionals agree that the most effective treatments should begin before the onset of puberty. With so few medical professionals willing or able to specialize in this unique area, even the most able families find themselves facing long waiting lists to receive care. For families with limited resources, the outlook is even worse.
That’s why we’re committed to raise the support and capital necessary to bringing a Center of Excellence for Transgender Health to Cincinnati. In partnership with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Transgender Health Clinic, we want to bring more resources, more professionals, and, ultimately, better outcomes for transgender youth and their families to this vital region.
While there are similar institutions on the West Coast, and some large operations in New England, this leaves the Midwest and the South drastically underserved. Cincinnati represents a cultural nexus, a border city where multiple ideologies, cultures, and beliefs merge–bringing a Center of Excellence to such a region can enact real change while providing key resources to those in an area where, otherwise, no other help exists.
The Transgender Health Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s is renowned for holistic care for those ages 5-24, but its impact is severely limited by resources. It’s a great foundation to build from, and the need is there. By expanding on this existing structure, we can immediately serve the hundreds of families stuck on a waiting list for care, and grow the practice to help every child who needs medical assistance and more.
A Center of Excellence is like a beacon of light for those on an otherwise dark and scary path. Imagine a scared parent, desperately searching for the right answers, or a scared child, grasping for validation. A Center for Excellence in Transgender Health would reassure all those searching that a valid resource exists for the medical needs of transgender youth. That there are doctors who are both experienced in the unique medical needs of these young people, but also willing to help in a positive, non-judgmental zone. For too many families, they’ve been turned away by traditional medical centers. This is a lifeline for those who need it most.