LOUISVILLE, Ky. — During a time when transgender children across the nation are facing uncertainty, a Louisville organization is giving them, and their families, a space to feel safe.
Jewish Family & Career Services (JFCS) started the 'Parents and Caregivers of Transgender Children Support Group' in 2022 to give caregivers a space to gain a mutual support network, education, and share resources.
"It's a complicated process and it's also complicated for the parents," said JFCS CEO Dr. David Finke. "Meeting with other parents who are going through similar struggles and are learning how to do it right and how to be supportive to their youth, was really affirming for them, especially when there's so much hate around."
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Finke said the group was founded because of the lack of support networks for caregivers of transgender children on a local level.
Kentucky Senate Bill 150, legislation that specifically targets transgender youth in the state, passed over a year ago.
The bill bans access to gender-affirming health care and restricts the bathrooms transgender students can use.
Opponents deem SB 150 "one of the most extreme anti-trans bills in the nation."
"There's clear messaging when laws are being made that say you're not allowed to be who you are and who you see yourself as being. It's hard to balance that," Finke said.
The 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that one in every three LGBTQ people said their mental health was impacted negatively due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.
The same study reports that 38% of queer young people found their homes to be LGBTQ-affirming.
"The research shows that youth who identify as transgender, are at higher risk for homelessness, for mental health issues, for suicide. A key component to that is are they embedded in a family that is able to be supportive," Finke said.
JFCS has around 30 members participating in the support group, giving caregivers a place to space to lean on each other through their own transitions and uncertainty.
"Different families go through those phases at different paces," Finke said. "You have to think about the whole picture and the whole family. This is a way we're trying to support these youth by supporting the parents."
The support group meets virtually once a month.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. You can dial the National Crisis Hotline at 988 where someone is available 24/7.
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