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Today, kids are much more informed about gender identity than years ago. I know that when I was a child, we did not learn about gender diverse youth and how to support them. Now that I’m a parent I find it so important to have open conversations with my children so that they feel comfortable telling us anything.

Dr. Kathryn Lowe joins me on this episode to educate us on how we can support our children, especially if they are a part of the LGBTQ community. We talk about sex vs. gender, how to support gender diverse children, how to raise awareness about gender, how to use language that is inclusive of all kids, and much more.

Dr. Katherine Lowe is a pediatrician with a particular interest in gender diverse youth. She is a co-author of the novel You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body, which she began writing after she realized there was a lack of resources for LGBTQ teens. 

Dr. Lowe is also a clinical assistant professor with the University of Washington School of Medicine. She is also an executive committee member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on LGBT Health and Wellness.  

In this episode we discuss:

• Appropriate definitions of gender diverse common terms
• Easy ways to support gender diverse children
• Strategies for preparing adults to have gender conversations with their children
• Tips for being inclusive when talking about puberty
• Ways to support your transgender child at their school

Resources:

• You-ology: A Puberty Guide for Every Body 
• Gender Spectrum
• PFLAG
• Human Rights Campaign
• American Academy of Pediatrics article 
• LGBTQ teens article
• The Trevor Project 

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Questions Asked In The Episode:

1. How did you become so passionate about advocating for gender diverse youth? 
2. Can you define gender and sex as a whole?
3. As a pediatrician, have you seen that more kids in 2022 are able to feel more comfortable coming out?
4. How can we help support gender diverse kids?
5. Are there support groups for parents or kids?
6. What can we do with our children to help raise awareness and understanding about gender?
7. How can we use our language so that it includes all kids and doesn’t make assumptions?
8.  How can we best support all kids to learn about puberty in a way that decreases shame for everyone and increases understanding of everyone?
9.  As a parent, what age should we start talking about this with our children?
10.  Does giving your kid more awareness of this at age 12 create increased gender related issues?
11.  Is there a specific age where kids become more curious about their gender identity and immediately start to relate to that gender more?
12.  How do I deal with a partner who thinks that having open discussions with kids too early gives them ideas?
13.  Are there signs that as a parent I could be looking out for that might indicate that my child is transgender or gender variant?
14.  What can a parent say to their school about helping them to support their child who is transgender?