The Gender Creative Child: Pathways for Nurturing and Supporting Children Who Live Outside Gender Boxes. Diane Ehrensaft. Available in LHNS lending library. Dr. Diane Ehrensaft coined the term gender creative to describe children whose unique gender expression or sense of identity is not defined by a checkbox on their birth certificate. She guides parents and professionals through the rapidly changing cultural, medical, and legal landscape of gender and identity. She explains the interconnected effects of biology, nurture, and culture to explore why gender can be fluid, rather than binary.
Gender, Your Guide: A Gender-friendly Primer on What to Know, What to Say, and What to Do in the New Gender Culture. Lee Airton. Gender is changing, and this change is gaining momentum. We all want to do and say the right things in relation to gender diversity--whether at a job interview, at parent/teacher night, and around the table at family dinners. But where do we begin? From the differences among gender identity, gender expression, and sex, to the use of gender-neutral pronouns like singular they/them, to thinking about your own participation in gender, Gender: Your Guide serves as a complete primer to all things gender.
Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue: How to Raise your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes. Christia Spears Brown. A guide that helps parents focus on their children's unique strengths and inclinations rather than on gendered stereotypes to more effectively bring out the best in their individual children, for parents of infants to middle schoolers.
The Conscious Parent's Guide to Gender Identity: A Mindful Approach to Embracing your Child's Authentic Self. Darlene Tando. Provides a relationship-oriented approach to supporting your child's journey in questioning their gender identity. Conscious parenting means being present with your children and taking the time to understand their point of view. Using this mindful method, you can support and guide your children as they discover their authentic selves.
Becoming An Ally to the Gender-expansive Child: A Guide for Parents and Carers. Anna Bianchi. For anyone eager to understand their child's gender experience, or to learn how best to accept, support and protect them, this book will provide knowledge, reassurance and the confidence to do so. The author shows how the inner journey of the adult inevitably impacts on the outer journey of the child and, given the significance of this, offers a step-by-step guide to becoming an ally to the gender-expansive child.
Raising My Rainbow: Adventures in Raising A Fabulous, Gender Creative Son. Lori Duron. The author's frank, heartfelt, and funny account of her and her family’s adventures of distress and happiness raising a gender-creative son. The story of her family as they navigate the often challenging but never dull privilege of raising a slightly effeminate, possibly gay, totally fabulous son.
Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority, and Lived Experience. Katrina Alicia Karkazis. This book examines contemporary controversies over the medical management of intersexuality in the United States from the multiple perspectives of those most intimately involved.
The Person You Mean to Be: How Good People Fight Bias. Dolly Chugh. A guide from an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.
Picture Books for Children
Bunnybear. Andrea J. Loney. (Pre-K – 1) Although Bunnybear was born a bear, he feels more like a bunny. The other bears don't understand him, and neither do the bunnies. Will Bunnybear ever find a friend who likes him just the way he is?
I am Jazz. Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings. (K – 5) From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she was a girl with male anatomy. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in typical boys' clothing.
Red: A Crayon's Story. Michael Hall. (Pre-K – 1) A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as "red" suffers an identity crisis. Almost everyone tries to “help” him be red until a friend offers a new perspective. He’s blue! About finding the courage to be true to your inner self.
Neither. Airlie Anderson. (K - 2) Because Neither is unlike both the rabbits and birds of the Land of This and That, it sets out to find a new place where all kinds of creatures are welcome.
Julián Is a Mermaid. Jessica Love. (Pre-K – 2) While riding the subway with his abuela, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. When Julián gets home all he can think about is dressing up like them. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? A story about the power of been seen and affirmed.
Lucia the Luchadora. Cynthia Leonor Garza. (Pre-K – 1) Lucía zips through the playground in her cape just like the boys, but when they tell her "girls can't be superheroes," suddenly she doesn't feel so mighty until her abuela reveals a secret that gives her courage.
Want to Play Trucks? Ann Stott. (Preschool - K) Jack and Alex meet almost every morning in the sandbox at the playground. Jack likes trucks big ones, the kind that can wreck things. Alex likes dolls pink ones, with sparkles. And tutus. But Jack doesn’t want to play dolls, and Alex doesn’t want to play trucks.
Jack (Not Jackie). Erica Silverman. (K - 3) One of very few books I’ve come across to include a transgender boy. A big sister realizes that her little sister, Jackie, doesn't like dresses or fairies-she likes ties and bugs! Will she and her family be able to accept that Jackie identifies more as "Jack"?
What Riley Wore. Elana Arnold. (Pre - 2) Riley wears whatever clothes feel right each day. On Monday, Riley feels shy and wears a bunny costume to school. On Tuesday, a scary trip to the dentist calls for a super hero cape. For a trip out with Otto and Oma, a ball gown is the perfect outfit.
Links
Understanding Gender. Basic gender literacy is essential for children to understand their own gender, engage in healthy relationships, identify and place media and social messages in context, and have agency in determining aspects of their gender now and in the future. Societal ideas about gender will affect every critical aspect of their lives, from education to career, finances, relationships and more.
From Lissa Moran’s Sexual and Gender Diversity workshop, below is a list of Twitter and Instragram accounts to follow for exposure. She noted: “If any of these folks, or other folks whom you follow in order to educate yourself, have Cashapp, Venmo, etc. links available, drop them some dollars. Their labor is valuable.”
Dr Laura Anderson on Gender Nonconformity and Differently Wired Kids. Covers a lot of ground in a conversation with Laura who explains what gender nonconformity is, how children’s gender identity is formed, what the latest research says about a connection between autism and gender expansive behavior, what children who are gender nonconforming and the parents raising them need in terms of support, and much, much more. (54 minutes long. Starts at 3:45. transcript available as PDF)
Mothering Boys – Secrets to Understanding Our Sons (with Best-Selling Author Maggie Dent). Janet Lansbury speaks with author Maggie Dent about her newest book, Mothering Our Boys, in which she focuses on the common misconceptions we hold about boys and how these perceptions can negatively inform our attitudes and expectations. (23 min long, transcript available)
Can A Child Be Raised Free Of Gender Stereotypes? This Family Tried. The story of a couple and the challenges they faced in trying to shield their child from gender stereotypes. And we meet their daughter, now a teenager, to hear her take on how she was raised. (52 min long)
Health Across the Gender Spectrum. This podcast series offers an intimate, story-based introduction to the real-life experiences of six transgender children and their families, along with two transgender experts in the field of medicine and health.
Disclosure on Netflix. In this documentary film, leading trans creatives and thinkers share heartfelt perspectives and analysis about Hollywood's impact on the trans community.
Transhood on HBO. Filmed over five years in Kansas City, Transhood chronicles the lives of four young people (aged 4, 7, 12, and 15 at the start of filming) and their families as they navigate growing up transgender in America’s heartland. By sharing personal realities of how gender expression is reshaping their lives, the film explores how these families struggle and stumble through parenting, and how the kids are challenged and transformed as they experience the complexity of their identities.
Pansexuality 2-minute video definition by The Advocate
Asexuality 4-minute video definition by The Advocate
Trans 101 - The Basics. The 8-minute introduction video of a series on Gender Diversity by https://trans101.org.au, they dive into being Trans, Gender Identity, and what it's all about!
