Resources

Local resources

Centre for Sexuality (Calgary) is a community-based organization delivering programs & services to support healthy sexuality across the lifespan. Find out more at www.centreforsexuality.ca

Skipping Stone (Calgary) leads the way in providing affirming care to trans and gender-diverse youth, adults, and families. Visit their website to see a listing of their programs and resources www.skippingstone.ca

Trans Parent Alberta 101 is a compilation of resources for supportive parents, guardians and caregivers of transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive children (minor or adult) in Alberta. You can explore this rich source of information at www.transparentalberta101.com

The Alex serves a community facing complex health challenges, including poverty, trauma, financial and housing instability, food insecurity, and a need for social and community inclusion. More information can be found at www.thealex.ca

Find more information at https://transstudent.org/gender/ or www.genderbread.org

Where to find support

There are organizations specifically geared towards supporting parents and caregivers, such as PFLAG: www.pflagcanada.ca

For transgender-specific crisis intervention, offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community, you can find your country’s crisis line phone number from Trans Lifeline at their website www.translifeline.org

The Trevor Project is the leading U.S. organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people under 25. Find more information here: www.thetrevorproject.org

LGBT Youth Line offers confidential and non-judgemental peer support through our telephone, text and chat services. They also have a well-developed resources section here www.youthline.ca/get-support/links-resources

Where to find general information

As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change. You can find resources from their website www.glaad.org

Gender Creative Kids is a reference community organization that has supported trans, non-binary, and gender-fluid youth’s affirmation within their families, schools, and communities. www.gendercreativekids.com

Gender Spectrum works to create gender-sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens. They have a section of their website devoted specifically to parents and caregivers here: www.genderspectrum.org/audiences/parents-and-family  

If you are looking for how to make changes to identification and legal names changes in Canada, Skipping Stone has a fulsome document here: www.skippingstone.ca/idamendments

If you are looking resources and support going into post-secondary education, this guide provides some useful information.

Where to find healthcare information

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is a non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health and publishes the Standards of Care and Ethical Guidelines on their website. www.wpath.org

University of California San Francisco (UCSF) offers guidelines for the primary and gender-affirming care of Transgender and gender nonbinary people. The UCSF Gender Affirming Health Program is a multidisciplinary program consisting of experts in transgender medicine and surgery at UCSF Medical Center. For more information on their guidelines visit: www.transcare.ucsf.edu/guidelines

Trans Youth CAN! is a study of youth referred for blockers or hormones at ten clinics in Canada. They are studying the health experiences of trans youth during the first two years on puberty blockers or hormones and post their updated findings regularly at www.transyouthcan.ca

Miscellaneous downloadable resources

Elevated rates of autism, other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diagnoses, and autistic traits in transgender and gender-diverse individuals by Varun Warrier et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17794-1.pdf

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, National Center for Transgender Equality and National LGBTQ Task Force joint statement on the rights of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Autistic people https://autisticadvocacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/joint_statement_trans_autistic_GNC_people.pdf

Just Listen: Affirming Strategies for Supporting Gifted Transgender Youth By Paul J. “PJ” Sedillo, Ph.D., Rebecca Niederlander, and Orion http://www.nagc.org/sites/default/files/Publication%20PHP/bonuscontent/Transgender%20and%20Gifted%206-21.pdf

Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit Supporting trans, non-binary and gender questioning children and young people in Brighton & Hove educational settings https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AllsortsYouthProject-Trans-Inclusion-Schools-Toolkit-Sept-18.pdf

National Center for Transgender Equality Fact Sheet on U.S. Department of Education Policy Letter on Transgender Students https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/ED-DCL-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Families in Transition: A resources guide for families of Transgender youth by Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) https://ctys.org/wp-content/uploads/CTYS-FIT-Guide-2020-English-1.pdf

Where to buy gender-affirming gear

Here are a few reputable companies that sell chest binders in various sizes and styles: www.gc2b.co and www.underworks.com

You can find form-fitting clothing for transgender girls at the Rubies website here: www.rubyshines.com And by searching LeoLines on Etsy.

Learn all about gaffs which is a form of underwear used for tucking from Gender Gear here: https://www.gendergear.ca/pages/all-about-gaffs

Books for children

I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings

It Feels Good to Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity by Theresa Thorn

Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman

Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall

The Boy & the Bindi by Vivek Shraya

They, She, He easy as ABC by Maya and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez

Books for teens and young adults

Before I Had the Words: On Being a Transgender Young Adult by Skylar Kergil

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin

George by Alex Gino

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky

Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews

Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place (A Transgender Memoir) by Jackson Bird

Books for parents of transgender kids

I Promised Not to Tell: Raising a transgender child by Cheryl B. Evans

Love Lives Here by Amanda Jette Knox

Raising Ryland: Our Story of Parenting a Transgender Child with No Strings Attached by Hillary Whittington

Soar Adam Soar by Rick Prashaw

Straight Expectations: The Story of a Family in Transition by Peggy Cryden

The Bold World: A Memoir of Family and Transformation by Jodie Patterson

The Unfinished Dollhouse: A Memoir of Gender and Identity by Michelle Alfano

Uncommon Girls by Carla Grant

What We Will Become: A Mother, a Son, and a Journey of Transformation by Mimi Lemay

Advocacy resources

Human Rights Campaign advocates for equality on many levels, has a robust resources section and if you live in the United States, you can narrow down to information in your state. www.hrc.org

Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE) campaigns globally for Trans, gender-diverse, and Intersex equality. You can find more information at www.gate.ngo