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Gender-affirming care is on the chopping block in 11 states, including \u2014 most recently \u2014 Iowa and Kentucky. Other states which ban gender-affirming care for minors include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee and Utah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US Department of Health and Human Services defines gender-affirming care as patient-centered treatment which aligns individuals\u2019 outward, physical traits with their gender identity. \u201cGender diverse adolescents, in particular, face significant health disparities compared to their cisgender peers,\u201d notes HHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maasch encouraged children who are struggling with gender identity to reach out to her organization TYEF or The Trevor Project, which has a good track record of supporting transgender youth. Trusted individuals, including older siblings or an aunt, can also be a source of support, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Physical violence is the norm for many transgender youth. Last June, a transgender student in Kalama, Washington was kicked repeatedly by another student wearing steel-toed boots and had to be hospitalized. A transgender teen in Pompano Beach, Florida has been savagely attacked twice. The teen was kicked, beaten and spat upon relentlessly, the first time when they were in 6th grade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March, eight students savagely beat a transgender student on a Tulsa, Oklahoma school bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stella Tice spent much of her young life trying to fit into the norms of the gender to which she was assigned at birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always felt I was different from everyone else,\u201d Tice, 22, told EMS. \u201cThe early stages of dysphoria hit especially hard during puberty. I didn\u2019t have any language or knowledge to express it,\u201d said Tice, who grew up in rural Klamath Falls, Oregon, and attended church every Sunday with her family, as well as a religious youth group every Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tice says she was bullied a lot in school. But she never told high school administrators or even her parents about what she was experiencing. \u201cIt made me uncomfortable to share my feelings because I was worried about being ridiculed by my peers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 16 months ago, with the support of her partner, Tice began transitioning into a woman. Telling her parents was initially difficult. \u201cIt was a rough start, but they definitely did a lot of learning. I come from a very tight-knit family. And they didn\u2019t want to lose me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tice\u2019s older brother turned out to be one of her strongest supporters. \u201c\u2019Wherever you end up, you have my support 100 percent,\u2019 he told me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tice and her partner live in Eugene, Oregon, which has a large LGBTQIA community, so the young woman was able to access the support she needed during her transitioning process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tice urged trans youth to turn to sub-Reditts, Twitch transgender streamers, and TikTok transgender content creators, to get a sense of community and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know this is a cliche, but it will and does get better,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/stella-e1680227641711_web.jpg?resize=1200%2C822&quality=89&ssl=1\")