PFLAG Fayetteville

I’m the mother of a transgender daughter. I’m here to answer your questions If you were parenting a transgender child, how would you be feeling, given recent political commentary by Pierre Poilievre?

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Join our Friends at Fayetteville PRIDE for a Holiday Social: Saturday 9th of December 2-4pm @ 200 Mason street!!!

http://outhistory.org/exhibits/show/tgi-bios/elagabalus

A Brief Biography of Elagabalus: the transgender ruler of Rome · Challenging Gender Boundaries: A Trans Biography Project by Students of Catherine Jacquet · OutHistory A collection of biographies written by the students in Catherine Jacquet's Fall 2012 class at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The class was titled "Gender Non-Conformity in Historical Perspective."

NOTE YOUR CALENDARS! 17 November 2023!
A mini-documentary about 3 Dads with Transgender kiddos!! On Netflix soon!!! (Post borrowed from the amazing newsletter of Mama-bear Amber Briggle ❤️)

https://www.facebook.com/100058144296694/posts/700759978538806/?mibextid=cr9u03

No, children are not being "mutilated" by trans-affirming healthcare.

If you are being told this, you are being lied to.

Let me explain how affirming trans kids usually looks:

1. A child/teen comes out as trans. Their parents take them to their doctor, who will usually refer them to a team of specialists at a gender identity clinic. These are usually inside hospitals and involve mental health professionals, endocrinologists (hormone specialists) and nurses.

2. The team will perform an assessment that involves sessions with the child and their caregivers. These assessments are very thorough. They examine both the possibility of gender dysphoria and any accompanying mental health issues like anxiety and depression (which are common in people experiencing untreated gender dysphoria - it's hard to live with that level of self-incongruence every day.)

3. if gender dysphoria is found to be the case, the team takes several things into consideration, including a child's age, level of support they receive from those around them, and what has already been done outside of medical care to alleviate that dysphoria.

4. If a child is pre-pubescent, there is no need for any medical treatment. Young children will often socially transition to some extent, and that's it. This can include everything from dressing in ways that are more comfortable to them to using a new name and pronouns.

NO SURGERIES ARE PERFORMED ON YOUNG CHILDREN. NO HORMONES ARE ADMINISTERED. These common misconceptions drive a lot of anti-trans sentiment.

5. When a child reaches puberty or is in puberty at the time they are found to be dysphoric, puberty blockers may be administered. These have been in use in young people for decades - not just trans kids but cis kids with precocious (early) puberty, too. They have been rigorously tested over the years, and any potential side effects are closely monitored. The biggest concern is bone density loss. Endocrinologists will usually prescribe vitamin D and calcium to counter this.

Puberty blockers simply hit the pause button and allow for some time where unwanted changes to the body aren't happening. They are fully reversible. We know this because children with precocious puberty will take them for a time, stop taking them, and then go through their natal puberty.

Studies show very few kids who are seen at gender identity clinics step off puberty blockers - these kids tend to know who they are. But when they do stop taking them, they experience their natal puberty, too.

6. After a time, a trans teen on puberty blockers will begin hormone replacement therapy, or HRT.

"But why can't they wait until they're 18?"

a. because a growing body needs hormones of some kind, so remaining on blockers indefinitely can cause harm, and

b. because if we deny blockers until adulthood, the body goes through puberty in what the child strongly believes is the wrong direction, causing many irreversible changes and often leading to intense depression/suicidality

HRT is the first step in a trans person's medical care that is not entirely reversible. However, there are two important things to note:

a. Teens generally have a good while on blockers before they start HRT. It is not a quick process.

b. Doctors administer these hormones at slow, incremental doses. Changes happen over years, not overnight. (Anecdotally, my own trans child only had their estrogen bumped up every 6 months. This gives plenty of time to potentially hit the brakes & reverse course)

7. Surgery. This is the big sticking point for a lot of people who oppose gender transition in minors. There are a few things to consider.

a. not all trans people need or want surgery.
b. For those who do, most trans teens don't access them until adulthood.
c. Of those who do, only very limited procedures are available to them.
d. Once again, no young children are having surgery or being "mutilated"

An important thing I want progressive people who are concerned about trans teens giving consent to gender affirming care to consider:

The laws allowing trans teens to give medical consent are the same laws that allow ALL teens in that part of the world to give consent to ANY medical care. This can include birth control, abortion, cancer treatments, and other critical care that affects their body autonomy. It's a slippery slope to try and remove this out of "concern."

"But what if a trans kid regrets their decision to transition?"

Studies show that fewer than 1% of trans people experience any kind of regret after undergoing gender affirming care. It's an extraordinarily low number by medical standards.

Lower still is the number of people who once believed they were trans and now don't feel that way.

The numbers don't lie. This is the only proven treatment, and it works well for nearly everyone of all ages.

I hope this helped shed some light on what is an often misunderstood and misrepresented population.

Trans kids deserve our understanding and our protection.

And by "protection", I mean ensuring they have access to the care that is proven to help them. Let's make sure we keep fighting for them.

Thank you from a trans person and the parent of a trans kid.🏳️‍⚧️

“Good people” cause harm. Examine your impact.

TOP 12 Book list for kids 2023

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https://www.facebook.com/100058081781103/posts/705389184740468/?mibextid=cr9u03

I'll be joining my mom, Jamie Bruesehoff and Dr. Linda Hawkins from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for a book launch event in the Greater Philadelphia/South Jersey area.

Come celebrate the release of Raising Kids beyond the Binary, join in conversation, and get your books signed by both me and my mom on Sept. 19 at the Cherry Hill Public Library.

Find more info at "Raising Kids Beyond the Binary" Book Launch or register at bit.ly/raisingkidsbeyondthebinary.

Haven't pre-ordered your book yet? Do it!
https://www.inkwoodnj.com/item/ayM6jXFx2nXfDRMtaEP3fA

https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Kids-beyond-Binary-Gender-Diverse/dp/1506488641/

Special thanks to PFLAG Collingswood, Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, St Michael's Lutheran Church, Prince of Peace, Marlton ELCA, and Lutheran Church of Our Savior for supporting the event!

https://www-self-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.self.com/story/trans-kids-in-sports-faq/amp

All Your Questions About Trans Kids in Sports, Asked and Answered Olympian Chris Mosier of Team USA breaks down the science, logistics, and fairness of including trans kids in sports.

REPUBLICANS are ready to override the HORRIFIC ANTI-transgender bills this coming Monday 🤬🤬🤬 Please use this link to voice your opinion:

Protect Our Communities in North Carolina

https://mailchi.mp/modernmilitary/mmaas-statement-on-todays-supreme-court-ruling?e=bf5091c4fe

MMAA's Statement on Today's Supreme Court Ruling Washington, D.C. – The Supreme Court ruled in the 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis case that owner, Lorie Smith’s First Amendment rights to free artistic expression and religious beliefs were violated in a decision that has heavy implications for LGBTQ+ rights, freedom of speech and religion, and crea...

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Meet the parents behind the LGBTQ+ family support group 'PFLAG' The organization, which has chapters around the country, turns 50 this year.

If you came out to meet us yesterday; send us an email to get on our mailing list: [email protected]
🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️❤️

LINK in this article to send a letter directly to your representatives!
WRITE IT NOW! URGENT 🤬🤬🤬

Take Action Against Anti-LGBTQ Attacks in North Carolina — NC is Ready for LGBTQ Protections NC is Readyto defeat anti-LGBTQ legislation in 2023! Navigate: 2023 Bills ｜Contact Your Lawmakers ｜Take Action｜Share Your Story During the 2023 legislative session at the NC General Assembly, a broad slate of anti-LGBTQ legislation has been proposed targeting LGBTQ+ North Carolinians for d.....

REMINDER: it’s the person WITH THE CONDITION who is the expert. Not politicians. Not voters who are unaffected. The people THEMSELVES with the condition.
Vote accordingly.

Transgender youth and the fight over medical care Six-tenths of a percent (0.006) of all Americans identify as transgender, including about 300,000 teenagers. At least 121,000 trans kids have been diagnosed ...

They’re coming for the entire community.
Voting matters.

A majority of Republicans now say same-s*x relations are immoral after a year of 'groomer' attacks on the LGBTQ community Republican support for same-s*x relations dropped 15% in the last year, according to a recent Gallup poll.

https://youtu.be/yf9MfYZ-Bl4

Meet the Girl Who Lawmakers Want to Ban From Playing Sports Rebekah is a 14-year-old girl who loves school, reading, hanging out with her friends and playing field hockey. But lawmakers across the country are trying t...

OPEN UNTIL 15 MAY!!
Urgent! Make sure you are heard!

Submit Your Comments on the Proposed Title IX Rule Submit your comment today in support of hard-won Title IX protections in sport. Together we can ensure that non-discrimination protections based on s*x are fully inclusive of our transgender, nonbinary and inters*x loved ones and neighbors.

We are looking for volunteers for PrideFest 2023! https://forms.gle/CYx7Cw5dnEGKBXT48

* Volunteers can sign-up to work with family and/or friends
* Volunteer shifts start at just two hours
* Volunteers of all ages and abilities are welcome
* Volunteers get the coolest swag

You can sign up using the form above, or find more information at www.FayettevillePride.org

Please help out Fayetteville Pride at this summer’s PRIDE FEST in Fayetteville on 24 June!

Volunteer Information Form Thank you so much for your interest in volunteering for Fayetteville PrideFest June 24th, 2023! We couldn't pull off our festival without the help of our dedicated volunteers.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRKAy9mb/

Taversia on TikTok with great bit of history.

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And. There. it. Is.

It Seems Ron DeSantis Forgot a Little Something About Disney This war has been fought before. It didn't go well for the anti-Disney side.