My Child Is Trans, Now What?

March 15, 2024
As anti-trans legislation sweeps through the nation, many Americans remain underinformed about trans issues and unsure of how to support the trans children in their lives. Designed for readers at all different knowledge levels, My Child Is Trans, Now What? is an accessible, nonjudgmental primer. Trans educator Greene walks the reader through coming-out conversations, how to build community for trans children, the spectrum of options for social and medical transition, and navigating potentially hostile healthcare, workplace, and educational systems. Drawing on his own experience of coming out as trans in high school, Greene emphasizes the importance of making space for trans joy in a world where trans kids are often met with anger, conflict, and even violence. He also takes care to stress the fact that, because every trans person is different, the best way to know the needs of a specific trans kid in your life is always just to ask. This warm and generous book will help a wide range of readers to support and celebrate children who are trans, nonbinary, and questioning.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 18, 2024
In this upbeat debut guide, Greene, a trans man and LGBTQ inclusion consultant, offers advice on how cis parents can “help build supportive homes... for trans young people,” whom Greene calls “VIPs.” The most important thing parents can do, he suggests, is to “listen empathetically” and “accept your VIP as the leading expert on themselves.” Writing for readers with little familiarity with trans issues, Greene provides a rundown of common pronouns and a thorough glossary of such terms as “cisnormativity,” “genderqueer,” and “pansexual.” Recommendations for supporting trans kids include helping them find LGBTQ support groups and setting a routine of “picking five things you and your VIP like about yourselves today” to counteract “loops of self-criticism.” Greene also weighs in on how parents can find trans-friendly healthcare providers and help their child navigate coming out at school. Much of the advice focuses on guiding parents as they work through their own feelings. For instance, Greene writes that while “it’s okay to acknowledge that this may be a new way of looking at the world,” parents should process any conflicted emotions with “sources other than your VIP.” Greene writes with compassion for trans youth and their parents, ensuring the former feel supported as the latter get up to speed. It’s a pragmatic program for parenting beyond the gender binary.