Do you or someone you know identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender-expansive? Are you questioning your gender identity? You are not alone. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation has estimated that there are over two million transgender people across the U.S. Although many transgender people are living in the U.S., it can be difficult to find a supportive community and resources. There are several organizations in Massachusetts that offer a variety of services and activities.
Transhealth, located in Northampton, offers gender-affirming primary care for adults and children, referrals to gender-affirming surgeons and other medical providers, hormone therapy, and psychiatric medication services. They also provide peer support groups and a drop-in space to hang out and socialize in! You can keep up to date on the events and services they offer by following them on social media. Please go to https://transhealth.org to find more information and to start the registration process.
Translate Gender, also located in Northampton, offers groups for transgender/non-binary/gender-expansive youth and for parents and caregivers, as well as a trans book club for youth. One to one personalized support and gender-affirming psychotherapy are available as well as game nights and other activities! You can learn more about Translate Gender by going to https://www.translategender.org/ and they can be found on social media. You can also reach Translate Gender by phone at 413-203-9339 or by email at info@translategender.org.
Fenway Health, located in Boston, offers a variety of services for the LGBTQ+ community. For transgender/non-binary/gender-expansive people, they offer gender-affirming medical care, hormone therapy, referrals for gender-affirming surgeries, and support groups for youth, parents/caregivers, and adults. You can find more information about Fenway Health at https://fenwayhealth.org. You can reach them by phone at 617-267-0900 or by email at information@fenwayhealth.org.
There are also resources available nationwide:
The Biden Foundation, Gender Spectrum, and the Movement Advancement Project (MAP) jointly created a list of resources to help parents and families to understand and provide support to transgender and gender-diverse youth. These resources include facts about transgender youth, links to organizations that help families of transgender youth connect with each other, education on how to support transgender youth, and culturally-inclusive information available in various languages. The list can be found here: https://www.lgbtmap.org/policy-and-issue-analysis/advancing-acceptance-for-parents
GLAAD has been working to accelerate acceptance for the LGBTQ community since the organization was formed in 1985. GLAAD offers online resources that include
information about transgender people and relevant issues, links to organizations that help with legal issues and advocacy, support for families and parents of transgender youth, and more and is available here: https://www.glaad.org/transgender/ resources
The Trevor Project offers a hotline that is available 24/7 and connects LGBTQ young people who need support to crisis counselors. You can speak to someone by calling 1-866-488-7386, texting “START” to 678-678, or by clicking “start chat” on the Trevor Project website at: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
Trans Lifeline is a non-profit organization run by transgender people that offers emotional and financial support to transgender people in crisis. Trans Lifeline has a confidential hotline that is available 24/7. People who are transgender or questioning their gender identity are encouraged to call (877) 565-8860 if they need to talk to someone who is transgender, even if they are not experiencing a crisis. More information about Trans Lifeline may be found at: https://translifeline.org/
This is not an exhaustive list of all of the resources that are available. If you are seeking more resources and are interested in psychotherapy, we can help! Here at Colorful Resilience, we offer an inclusive office space with therapists who are competent in working with transgender people and with people of diverse racial/cultural backgrounds. Here at our practice, I specialize in working with the transgender/non-binary community and with the broader LGBTQ+ community. Please contact us here at Colorful Resilience LLC at 413-213-2979 to get started.
Holly McMahon, LMHC
Citations:
Human Rights Campaign Foundation. (n.d.). Understanding the transgender community. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved September 22, 2022, from https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-the-transgender-community
