Parenting a teenager is obviously a challenge at the simplest of times but parenting a teen transitioning to another gender can be overwhelming. While there’s been a tremendous evolution in support for parents of gay and lesbian kids, families dealing with the unique needs of trans youth often feel helpless and alone.

“Many parents have feelings of guilt or shame; it’s a very confusing time for them,” says Dr. Nicola Brown, clinical psychologist and researcher with the Pride & Prejudice team at Central Toronto Youth Services. Together with Pride & Prejudice, Dr. Brown has created Families in TRANSition: A Resource Guide for Parents of Trans Youth, the first comprehensive Canadian publication to address the needs of parents and families supporting their trans children. It will be made available for free download at and available for purchase through www.ctys.org.

“This book’s been incubating for the last couple of years,” says Dr. Brown. “We’re seeing more and more youth recognize their experiences at earlier ages, coming out earlier and in greater numbers.” Though the cultural visibility for trans issues has increased—on shows like Oprah or through movies like Transamerica—Dr. Brown explains that transitioning is never an easy decision: “Nobody does this impulsively. It’s a decision that’s often been painstakingly thought through. A guide for parents was the number one resource that youth were asking for but that we didn’t have to give them.”

To celebrate the release of this vital resource, a launch party will be held June 8^th at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre showcasing the remarkable diversity of the transgender experience. Parents of trans youth will share their stories, DJ Nik Red will provide music along with I Furiosi, one of the world's most innovative Baroque ensembles; the youth theatre project Gender Play will give a preview performance from their fascinating new piece Panopticon, which opens to the public on June 13th at Buddies; and hosting the event will be Canada’s most famous transsexual, the multi-talented cultural icon Nina Arsenault.

“I’m really excited for the release of this book,” says Dr. Brown. “We understand that transitioning is a very taxing process for youth and their parents. Coming out is emotionally exhausting—youth are anxious and fearful of rejection—but the education itself is emotionally taxing. That’s where we can help. Parents need to know that they’re not alone, that they’re not the first ones to undergo this experience and that there are other people who can help them along this path.”

Pride & Prejudice (P&P) was the first program of its kind in Toronto for and about queer and trans teens and young adults. Since 1983, P&P has provided comprehensive clinical care including short and longer-term individual counseling, group counseling, community intervention, arts-based group work, research and training. All services are free.

Central Toronto Youth Services (CTYS) is a community-based, accredited Children’s Mental Health Centre with locations on Wellesley Street, on Adelaide Street and in York Region. Since 1973, CTYS has been on the forefront of serving at-risk youth through programs like Pride & Prejudice. CTYS gives youth a chance to recreate their lives in an environment where they are engaged, then challenged and nurtured to take control of their own destiny. www.ctys.org

About the Launch Event:

Sunday, June 8^th 2008
Tallulah’s Cabaret, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto ON   416-075-9130;  www.artsexy.ca

Cocktail Reception 6:30 PM
peakers and Entertainment 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Music and networking 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Admission – free, but donations are appreciated

Speakers:
Dr. Nicola Brown, author and researcher, CTYS Pride & Prejudice
Margot and Claro, mother and son
Judy, mother

Hosted by multimedia trans celebrity Nina Arsenault

Entertainment:
I Furiosi Baroque Ensemble (www.ifuriosi.com)
Gender Play 2008 Youth Performance: Panopticon (www.ctys.org)
DJ Nik Red (www.myspace.com/djnikkired)

About the book:

Families in TRANSition provides practical and sensitive parent-to-parent and professional therapeutic advice for parents who may have had their adolescent or young adult child come out recently as trans. It discusses the experiences, strategies and successes of parents and trans youth, along with those of a working group of community consultants, researchers, counselors and advocates. The guide offers accurate, up-to-date information on terminology, health and issues related to transition and offers families vital tools to help take care of themselves and one another through this challenging and critical process. Families in TRANSition provides a provincial context and relevant Toronto resources for continued youth and family support towards strengthening families.     

This guide was written and published by CTYS (Central Toronto Youth Services) with the support and collaboration of P-FLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and Transceptance (a Toronto support group for parents of trans youth), and edited by Scott Williams. Families in TRANSition was generously supported by the Lesbian & Gay Community Appeal and General Reinsurance Company. It will be available at the Launch Event or online at www.ctys.org in both a hard-copy format or as a free PDF download.

Tags: advice, transgender