In honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, teach your kids that trans people exist.
This year transphobia has claimed the lives of at least 330 people, including 30 in the United States. On November 20 many people in the transgender community will gather for vigils to observe Transgender Day of Remembrance and mourn those victims.
Today we would like to humbly offer you links to some resources for teaching your children about gender diversity, in the belief that raising a generation of more compassionate children may pave the way to a more peaceful future.
Great Diverse Children's Books with Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Children
This excellent list from Welcoming Schools includes books aimed at kids from pre-K through elementary school, including a picture book about a blue crayon mistakenly labeled as red.
Lesson Plans to Help Students Understand Gender and to Support Transgender and Non-Binary Children
These lesson plans, also from Welcoming Schools, are designed to help students understand how gender stereotyping impacts all children. There are many ways to be a boy, girl, both or neither -- here are some resources to drive that lesson home!
How do I talk with my preschooler about identity? (From Planned Parenthood)
When it comes to gender, ideas about what it means to be a girl or a boy are everywhere, and these ideas have a big influence on your preschooler. Learn how to teach your kid that their gender doesn’t limit them, how to talk about different kinds of families, how to know if your kid is transgender, and more.
An Excerpt from "Transgender Children & Youth: Understanding the Basics," by Human Rights Campaign
Gender identity and expression are central to the way we see ourselves and engage in the world around us. This is certainly true of transgender and gender-expansive children and teens, for whom family support is absolutely critical.
Studies show that familial rejection can:
- lead LGBTQ youth to engage in behaviors that put their health at risk,
- trigger depression and other mental health problems,
- and – in the worst of cases – result in homelessness or suicide
Moreover, familial support can act as a buffer against bullying and bias outside the home. As child welfare expert Caitlin Ryan has demonstrated, “Family acceptance predicts greater self-esteem, social support, and general health status,” for LGBTQ youth. “It also protects against depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation and behaviors,” issues for which transgender youth are at disproportionate risk.
In other words, for some transgender youth, family support can be the difference between life and death.
The History of Transgender Day of Remembrance
You can read more about Transgender Day of Remembrance, its founder, and its history, at the GLAAD web site.
Thank you for reading. I hope your family will find some of these resources helpful!
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