This article was downloaded by: [Western Washington University] On: 11 March 2014, At: 10:20 Publisher: Routledge

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Journal of LGBT Youth

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Developing Allies to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth: Training for Counselors and Educators
Kim A. Case & S. Colton Meier
a b c a b c

University of HoustonClear Lake , Houston , Texas , USA Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center , Houston , Texas , USA

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Baylor College of Medicine , Houston , Texas , USA Published online: 14 Jan 2014.

To cite this article: Kim A. Case & S. Colton Meier (2014) Developing Allies to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth: Training for Counselors and Educators, Journal of LGBT Youth, 11:1, 62-82, DOI: 10.1080/19361653.2014.840764 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2014.840764

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Journal of LGBT Youth, 11:6282, 2014 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1936-1653 print / 1936-1661 online DOI: 10.1080/19361653.2014.840764

Developing Allies to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth: Training for Counselors and Educators
KIM A. CASE
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University of HoustonClear Lake, Houston, Texas, USA

S. COLTON MEIER
Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, Texas, USA and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

Lack of training regarding transgender youth leaves K12 educators unprepared to become allies to this disenfranchised community and attend to their needs. This article explores the pedagogical strategies of two professional workshop models (GLSEN Houston training and the Gender Innity practitioner training), which provide skills and resources for educators and counselors in K12 settings to become adult allies to gender-nonconforming youth. Discussion includes pedagogical approaches and implications regarding sessions that provide training, resources for counselors and teachers to develop skills to support transgender youth, and responses from participants about the outcomes associated with workshop training. KEYWORDS Ally, counselor training, feminist pedagogy, gender nonconforming, professional development, teacher education, transgender Recent literature clearly indicates that most counseling and education programs fail to prepare practitioners to competently serve the needs of transgender youth (Carroll, 2010; Cole, Denny, Eyler, & Samons, 2000; DePaul, Walsh, & Dam, 2009; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010; Goodrich & Luke, 2009). Similarly, most public health and medical school training programs fail to train their students to be allies (Corliss, Shankle, & Moyer, 2007;
Received 12 April 2012; revised 7 May 2012; accepted 30 May 2012. Address correspondence to Kim A. Case, 2700 Bay Area Boulevard, Box 35, University of HoustonClear Lake, Houston, TX 77058. E-mail: caseki@uhcl.edu 62

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Obedin-Maliver et al., 2011). Even programs that include LGBT training commonly exclude or mention transgender issues only briey or as an afterthought (Carroll, 2010; Case, Stewart, & Tittsworth, 2009; Green, 2010). As gender identity develops between ages two and ve, and sexual orientation as early as age nine (Zucker, 2005), training opportunities are essential for professionals in K12 settings (Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010). Because of this lack of preparation to work with transgender youth, we are calling for a fundamental change in the training of counselors and educators at the bachelors and masters levels. To advance the development of adult allies to trans youth, the two professional workshop models presented here offer best practices for delivering effective training to counselors and educators. Through analysis of these models, which target teachers, counselors, and other practitioners in K12 settings, we aim to contribute to an increasing pool of expert trainers to facilitate professional development of trans youth allies. In addition, the conservative cultural context in the state of Texas, where the trainings were conducted, requires training models equipped to handle practitioner resistance tied to religious or spiritual concerns. Although not all areas of the United States contend with the same conservative context, these religious concerns arise even in traditionally progressive or liberal regions. We also address specic strategies for addressing this form of resistance.

TRANSGENDER YOUTH EXPERIENCES

Transgender youth experience pervasive victimization, mental and physical health disparities, and difculties accessing helpful resources more so than their nontransgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) peers (DAugelli, Grossman, & Starks, 2006; Grossman et al., 2009; Hanssmann, Morrison, & Russian, 2008) even during their elementary school years (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network [GLSEN], 2012). Beginning in middle school, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are at risk for suicidal ideation and attempts, depression, anxiety, nonsuicidal self-injury, and being victimized by peers in person or online (McGuire, Anderson, Toomey, & Russell, 2010; Robinson & Espelage, 2011). Not surprisingly, they feel less safe in school and have higher levels of unexcused absences and dropout rates, less of a sense of school belongingness, more academic difculties, and fewer plans to attend college than their non-LGBT peers due to harassment (Greytak, Kosciw, & Diaz, 2009; Grossman & DAugelli, 2006; McGuire et al., 2010; Robinson & Espelage, 2011; Sausa, 2005). Toomey, Ryan, Diaz, Card, and Russell (2010) found that victimization due to perceived or actual LGBT status fully explained the relationship between adolescent gender nonconformity and young adult psychosocial adjustment, implying that victimization in schools has long-term negative effects on the lives of transgender youth.

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PROFESSIONAL TRAINING REGARDING TRANSGENDER STUDENTS

When counselors and educators are not adequately trained to be allies to transgender students, they are not prepared to respond to their needs. Transgender students have reported that teachers ignore their pleas for help, appear indifferent to threats made toward trans youth, and rarely intervene in harassment (McGuire et al., 2010; Sausa, 2005). Lack of response communicates a message of approval of harassment of LGBT youth and promotes an unsafe environment for transgender students (Bagley & DAugelli, 2000). Teachers often blame the targeted students when these youth attempt to communicate their concerns and indicate transgender students cause the harassment themselves by violating gender norms (Kosciw, Diaz, & Greytak, 2008; Sausa, 2005). At worst, teachers contribute to the distress of transgender youth by mocking them, purposely using birth names rather than preferred names, directing them to act more like their assigned sex, and subjecting them to sexual comments and sexualized gestures (Grossman & DAugelli, 2006; McGuire et al., 2010; Sausa, 2005). The Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) have published competencies for those who work with transgender persons, including psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, nurses, or medical professionals with training in behavioral health counseling (ALGBTIC, 2009; WPATH, 2012). School counselors are also called on to work as advocates and leaders to educate school administrators, teachers, staff, community members, and parents about the unique needs of transgender youth to foster safer spaces for learning (Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010; Goodenow, Szalacha, & Westheimer, 2006; Singh & Burnes, 2009; Toomey et al., 2010). More specifically, counselors should assume the role of ally, collaborating with other organizations to remove identied barriers that impede the clients growth and development (Gonzalez and McNulty, 2010, p. 180) and to model a trans-positive approach (Carroll & Gilroy, 2002).

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PROMOTING SAFE SCHOOLS FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH

As allies, counselors and educators can improve transgender students safety within the school environment, which can lead to increased academic achievement and higher quality of life among these youth (McGuire et al., 2010). Adult allies in K12 settings can mentor transgender students, sponsor LGBT student organizations, advocate for transgender inclusion, and connect transgender students to resources in the community (Carroll & Gilroy, 2002; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010; McGuire et al., 2010). When transgender students feel that they can trust school personnel and policymakers, they are

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more likely to succeed in school (McGuire et al., 2010). Students feel safer in schools and there are fewer reports of harassment when teachers stop LGBTmotivated harassment as it occurs (McGuire et al., 2010; OShaughnessy, Russell, Heck, Calhoun, & Laub, 2004; Russell, McGuire, Lee, & Larriva, 2008). When schools provide information about LGBT issues in curricula, transgender students report a safer school environment (McGuire et al., 2010). Case and colleagues (2009) and Wentling, Schilt, Windsor, and Lucal (2008) provide ideas and resources to include transgender content in college classes, direct educators to eliminate biased language, prepare students to ask appropriate questions of transgender guest speakers, and honor the name and pronoun preferences of transgender students. Further, counselors and educators should be prepared to answer or redirect questions, especially those that are eroticizing or voyeuristic (Carroll & Gilroy, 2002; Wentling et al., 2008). Several resources have been published that outline tips for training counselors and educators (Brill & Pepper, 2008; Carroll, 2010; Hanssmann et al., 2008; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010; Green, 2010). Training should be provided to all school personnel in an initial and ongoing manner (Brill & Pepper, 2008). Trainers are encouraged to nd common ground with trainees (e.g., all students deserve to feel safe and supported in school; when this happens their academic achievement improves) (Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010). The most common tip is to provide information on applicable language and terminology to use while acknowledging that there is a lack of consistency and consensus around trans language (Green, 2010, p. 2). Of importance is to provide a clear presentation of the concepts of gender identity and sexual orientation, highlighting that these distinct concepts are commonly conated (Brill & Pepper, 2008; Green, 2010; Hanssmann et al., 2008). The second most common tip is to connect trainees with transgender people through either bringing in speaking panels of persons of diverse gender, racial, and cultural backgrounds across different age groups or showing videos including diverse transgender people (Carroll, 2010; Green, 2010; Hanssmann et al., 2008; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010). Trainers can also provide resources including books, documentaries, and appropriate Internet sites (Carroll, 2010; Green, 2010; Hanssmann et al., 2008).

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FRAMEWORK FOR TRAINING MODEL PEDAGOGY

As described by Case, Kanenberg, Erich, and Tittsworth (2012), critical liberatory feminist pedagogy involves centering marginalized voices and lived experiences, questioning systems of power and privilege, facilitating collaborative discussions for critical reection, and empowering learners to take actions to promote equality. This theoretical approach, building on the work

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of Paulo Freire (1970/2000) and feminist pedagogical principles outlined by Fisher (2001), provided the basis for construction of the two ally development training models described here. Additional critical pedagogies, such as queer and antiracist frameworks, also informed training strategies and helped facilitators to include a variety of standpoints to maximize workshop effectiveness.

ALLY DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TO TRAINING

We analyzed these two professional development training programs using the theoretical framework of critical liberatory feminist pedagogy, incorporating queer and transgender theories to enhance the pedagogical lens. As organizers and facilitators of these workshops, both authors provided educational opportunities to professional community members serving youth in educational, counseling, and therapeutic settings. The professionals that attended these sessions ranged from having no knowledge of transgender and gendervariant children to reporting some awareness of gender-nonconformity and supportive adult ally behaviors. As founder and chair of the GLSEN Houston, the rst author develops and delivers customized workshops for K12 educators, counselors, librarians, administrators, and other adult staff. These training sessions most often include educational activities with regard to both sexual orientation and gender identity but sometimes focus exclusively on transgender concerns based on the needs of the school or target audience. GLSEN Houston workshops, typically three hours in length, occur several times throughout the year at individual schools, counselor professional development days, and GLSENhosted continuing education events. The second author, cofounder and organizer of the Gender Innity workshops, provides preservice and practicing counselors, social workers, psychologists, and medical professionals with essential skills and resources for supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming children. Within this ve-hour training, participants receive the latest resources and best practices for working with transgender youth from clinical, legal, and educational experts.

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CULTURAL CONTEXT
The professional workshops described here occur in and around the fourth largest city in the United States. The greater HoustonGalveston area includes 6 million people, with 2 million in Houston itself. Although the city reelected an openly lesbian mayor in 2011 and 2013, the overall conservative climate of Texas and many areas within the metropolitan Houston area create unique

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challenges for delivery of trainings devoted to transgender issues. Workshop participants in both the GLSEN Houston and the Gender Innity conference often share the difculties of extending support to gender-nonconforming youth. When working with families facing the challenges of a childs gendernonconforming behavior, clinicians commonly encounter parental requests to x their transgender child or teenager, implying there is something wrong with their child. Within educational settings, most public and private school educators can be red for being gay, trans, or for any reason, such as supporting a gay or gender-nonconforming student. Despite these threats to equality, the largest district in Texas, Houston Independent School District, added sexual orientation and gender identity to its employee nondiscrimination protections, presenting a potential new direction for K12 settings that protect and support LGBT youth, as well as LGBT professionals. Even with this policy advancement in one district, at the state level, legislative and executive branches of state government continue to discourage education and awareness of LGBT-inclusive practices. For example, the 2011 state legislature session included attempts to reduce funding of LGBT centers at state universities. The proposed legislation, which did not pass, would have required any state university with an LGBT center to open a family values center with funding equal to or greater than the LGBT center. That same year in his run for the Republican presidential nomination, Texas governor Rick Perry endorsed an advertisement declaring he was not ashamed to admit that [hes] a Christian and labeling openly gay military service as wrong. In this sociocultural context of the Bible belt, conservative political maneuvers, and blatantly anti-LGBT sentiment, providing quality education on transgender issues becomes even more urgent, as well as distinctly more challenging.

TRAINING MODELS FOR DEVELOPING ALLIES Gender Innitys Practitioner Training Model
In summer 2011, an interdisciplinary practitioner training that addressed working with gender-nonconforming youth and their families was provided for professionals working with youth. To prepare for this training, as well as to work with families with gender-nonconforming youth, the conveners attended Gender Spectrum and Gender Odyssey training, examined relevant peer-reviewed literature, and read The Transgender Child (Brill & Pepper, 2008). The goal for the training was to prepare professionals to fulll critical roles in supporting gender-nonconforming children, families, and schools in managing their adjustment with regard to school systems, working with medical professionals, navigating the courts for legal needs such as name changes, religious and spiritual communities, and familial support. Facilitators provided ve hours of training in a university setting at no cost to

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participants, with the exception of continuing education costs for those who requested this credit. In the rst portion of the training, an out transgender provisionally licensed clinical psychologist (the second author) provided an opening plenary address. The objectives for this presentation included (1) stating the common ground of creating and celebrating possibilities for these children, (2) developing a common vocabulary, (3) reviewing typical and atypical gender development (including gender uidity; see Brill & Pepper, 2008), and (4) reviewing current literature and perspectives related to transgender youth and gender dysphoria. The closing of this plenary session highlighted a mother of a nine-year-old female-identied child who was assigned male at birth. She spoke of her journey to understanding her childs gender identity and the process of working with a psychologist to addressing her childs needs with school personnel. After the opening presentation, participants chose one of three roundtable discussions, each facilitated by a panel of experts. One roundtable focused on medical information provided by two physicians. Another roundtable covered educational and legal issues with a variety of presenters: an expert transgender lawyer, a psychology and womens studies professor and the GLSEN Houston chair (rst author), and a school board member. An LGBT youth services specialist and a licensed social worker, activist, and educator who is an out transgender woman hosted a third discussion on social and therapeutic support. The training consisted of 33 participants, the majority of whom were mental health practitioners. Participants included case managers working with at-risk youth in the schools, social workers, teachers, physicians, psychologists, therapists, psychology predoctoral interns from the local school district, preservice counselors and social workers, a parent of a transgender teenager, and a university LGBT resource center director. Participants had a wide range of prior knowledge and experience working with transgender persons, with some participants meeting a transgender person for the rst time at the workshop and others reporting having worked with transgender people for more than 10 years.

GLSEN Professional Development Training Model

GLSEN sessions targeted preservice and current educators, counselors, and administrators to educate them regarding trans youth experiences in K12 educational settings. Learning goals for workshops connect back to critical liberatory feminist pedagogy and queer theory. Workshops included transgender youth information, even if only LGB information was requested, to help break down taboos about transgender individuals and normalize such discussions. The sessions provided quantitative data, such as statistics on verbal and physical violence toward trans students, trans

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participants responses to school harassment, and the effects of bullying on trans youth psychology, emotions, and academics. In addition, direct quotes from gender-nonconforming students provide qualitative data to bring trans voices to the center of the workshops. Furthermore, to challenge the idea of homogeneity within groups, the workshops emphasized diversity and intersections of identity from the transgender community. For example, one often- used video shared interviews with transgender individuals who are female-to-male, male-to-female, Asian, Black, and White. While facilitators customized workshops to each group for maximum effectiveness, sessions typically involved pedagogical strategies that incorporated active learning through small group work, interactive application and role-play, and collective discussions for critical reection. In addition, the workshops provided practical applications for the classroom, and trainees practiced real-world ally behavior during the sessions. Within GLSEN trainings, the typical professional development session serves between 8 and 22 participants. The majority of attendees have little or no exposure to or accurate information about transgender individuals or appropriate avenues for ally behavior. When GLSEN hosts independent workshops, training occurs at a local university and attracts teachers, counselors, administrators, and staff from a variety of area schools as well as preservice educators. Requests for customized workshops resulted in GLSEN training sessions at primary, middle, and high schools for educators and adult staff. Some workshops were offered to counselors or preservice teachers (e.g., Teach for America trainees) as one of the workshop options at an organized professional development day. On rare occasions, these workshops occurred during a required staff training day.

PEDAGOGICAL BEST PRACTICES FOR TRANS YOUTH ALLY TRAINING

Given our experiences with providing professional development workshops to increase trans youth ally skills and behaviors among educators and counselors, this section presents general best practices for trainings, common questions asked by participants, as well as specic strategies to answer difcult questions. The strategies, developed from both models described here, reect a commitment to incorporate critical feminist liberatory pedagogy into the design and delivery of professional development sessions. As trainers planning a workshop, we always seek to nd out as much information about the audience as possible (e.g., demographics, motivations for attending, any signicant events that led to the training, roles in the school system) and identify areas of common ground for potential community building with the session (e.g. all students deserve to feel safe in schools; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010). By identifying these

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shared values, we can later return to common themes when participants ask questions that divert from the workshop focus. To promote appropriate terminology use, we introduce attendees to the relationships among such terms as sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and physical sex (Brill & Pepper, 2008; Hanssmann et al., 2008; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010). We purposely remind trainees that these social identities exist for all individuals, including the privileged or dominant group members, regardless of whether they have considered them. When possible, our sessions include out and visible transgender role models and allies, such as faculty members, students, community members, or family members and partners of trans people, to represent diverse gender identities, gender expressions, race and ethnicity, and religious and cultural backgrounds (Carroll, 2010; Green, 2010; Hanssmann et al., 2008). These trans models and ally models teach participants that (1) one cannot necessarily tell if someone is transgender, (2) all types of people can be transgender, (3) transgender people can have family members and others who love them for who they are, and (4) transgender people can be accepted as valued members of their religious and spiritual communities. Trainers may want to address what questions are appropriate to ask panel members before questions are asked by the audience to model providing a safe environment for everyone involved. If it is not possible to include a transgender speaker, trans-sensitive and afrming documentaries may serve as the next best option. Research has demonstrated that those persons who have contact with gay and lesbian people are less likely to have anti-gay attitudes and prejudice (Dasgupta & Rivera, 2008). It is thought that bringing trainees into contact with transgender persons and their loved ones may similarly reduce anti-trans attitudes and prejudice. Specic planning strategies for programming can be implemented that may not be unique to these types of trainings. For example, we have found that using active learning and interactive techniques can better engage trainees than a dry lecture does. When dening pertinent terms, we ask participants to share their perception of the meaning before providing the denition; or we ask them to reect on where they rst learned these terms. If participants express uncertainty in the differences between the terms or conate them when sharing their ideas, we normalize this confusion by pointing out the common cultural tendency to interchange these terms. When teaching trans-supportive ally behavior, we point out relevant practical applications to participants, as these may not be immediately obvious, by providing specic examples of situations that may occur and multiple possibilities of how allies may intervene. To highlight the consequences of discrimination, our sessions inform participants about legal protections not granted to transgender people and whether students have protection through local school or district policies and city and state laws. One of the main pedagogical goals of the workshops is to provide opportunities for educators and counselors to practice real-world ally responses relevant to their roles in the schools. The following four scenarios illustrate

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our approach to applied ally practice and role-play activities in small groups of three to four participants. For each of these scenarios, we provide each small group with a detailed vignette within a specic school setting based on the participants school context and roles within the school. Here, we include the general scenario description and several points for a facilitated discussion that would follow small group brainstorming for how to respond.

Scenario 1: You Overhear Trans-Negative Comments or Verbal Harassment Based on Gender Nonconformity
Points for facilitated discussion with participants follow:
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These comments may arise from students, teachers, staff, parents, and/or administration within a K12 setting. Knowing the local schools policies for responding to bullying will aid in decision making in the moment. If no policies exist, or if the policies are not inclusive of gender-identity-based harassment, work to implement a zero-tolerance policy for bullying and harassment of all students. When responding to anti-gay and anti-trans bias (e.g., Thats so gay; Youre not a real girl; My mom says youre going to hell and really just want attention), allies should avoid shaming and create a safe space for all students. Possible response: If time permits, address the Thats gay comment by asking the student, What does that mean? If the student responds that he or she means something is dumb, then say, Actually, that word does not mean dumb. If the student was referring to another student with that comment, ask if he or she wanted to tease the student or hurt the student by using that word. If that was the case, inform the student that he or she is bullying, clearly dene the consequences of this behavior in school, and implement them. Empower students who have been bullied by asking them how they feel when other students calls them a name, such as a sissy or gay, and then direct those participants to tell these students that they do not like it when they use those words with them and they want them to stop. When directing a student to apologize for their behavior, make sure that the students apology includes a promise to discontinue the bullying behavior.

Scenario 2: You Overhear Questions About a Gender-Nonconforming Student (Targeted Student Not Present)
Points for facilitated discussion with participants follow: Teach allies to assess which questions are appropriate and which are not. This can be based on the intention behind the question and the needs of the gender-nonconforming child. Encourage participants to seriously and

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intentionally examine the reasons behind the questions that are asked. Just because someone thinks of a question (e.g., I wonder what their genitals look like?) does not mean that question is appropriate to ask. To determine if the question is appropriate, think about other situations where the question might be asked and determine if it would be appropriate in that situation. For example, if someone asked nontransgender children what their genitals looked like, would that be appropriate? If not, then it is also inappropriate in the situation where a trans child is involved. As another example, asking trans students which restrooms they use out of curiosity alone would be inappropriate. Intervene where inappropriate questions are asked by empowering the trans child and family to determine whether they want to answer certain questions. In addition, the trainer may question the intention behind asking the question that seems inappropriate or intrusive. For questions from other professionals and/or parents (e.g., Is that kid gay?; Why does he dress like that?; I bet that she does not have appropriate female role models in her family; Is that kid a boy or a girl? Does that child have boy parts?), responses may include It doesnt matter or Im not sure. If you need to know, you may ask or How come youre asking? Are you just curious or do you need to know? Appropriate responses will depend on the specic situation. If the person then asks another question after the ally responds (e.g., But shes really a gay boy, right?), the ally might choose to educate the asker by explaining that gender expression, or the way the student dresses, is not the same as sexual orientation or who the student will be sexually attracted towhich, in this situation, does not matter. Limit the conversation to gender expression and not sexual behavior, as a students sexual orientation, whether heterosexual, queer, or LGB, is private information.

Scenario 3: Teen Students Ask a Visibly Gender-Nonconforming Student Questions That Make the Student Uncomfortable
Points for facilitated discussion with participants follow; the gendernonconforming student is given the name Alex in these examples: In this situation it is important to respond as soon as possible. Consider saying, Hold on. Did you ask Alex if its okay to ask about Alexs body? If Alex attempts to minimize the situation to avoid conict, ask, Alex, is it really okay that they ask you about your body or are you just trying to be friendly? If Alex indicates that it is not okay, then empower the child to let the other students know that by saying, You can tell them that it is not okay. Adult allies might continue to ask the other students: What were you really asking Alex? Did you want to talk to Alex about private parts? If

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so, thats not going to work. If the students apologize to Alex, the ally may want to say, I dont know if Alex wants to hear that youre sorry. I think Alex wants to hear that you wont ask about body parts again. During this exchange, attempt to maintain a balance between empowering the trans student and keeping the environment a safe place for all involved. Another way to approach this situation is to step in before Alex responds (if possible) and say, It doesnt matter. It may be helpful to assist the students in nding their common interests to take the attention away from the gender-nonconforming childs perceived differences.
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Scenario 4: You Attempt to Separate Students into Girls and Boys and a Student Informs You That He or She Feels Like Neither
Points for facilitated discussion with participants follow: Use this opportunity to model how to deal with this situation. Communicate to the student : Lining up by girls and boys was not a great idea. Lets think of another way we can split up into groups. An adult ally might separate them by month of birth or favorite animal. Even if no student objects, separating based on sex or gender often perpetuates ingroup and out-group biases and presents a marginalizing situation for trans youth. If a school requires students to participate in gender-segregated activities, such as shop and home economics, it will be helpful to encourage all youth to participate in the activity that appeals to them, regardless of if it is a boy or girl activity (Brill & Pepper, 2008).

PARTICIPANTS COMMON QUESTIONS AND RELIGIOUS CONCERNS

Participants ask a variety of questions that require a sensitive and nonjudgmental response from facilitators. At times, trainers may not know the answers to the questions asked, especially given that answers are often unclear due to natural variability in children and their developmental paths. Effective ally training includes facilitator awareness of knowledge gaps and the ability to model getting comfortable with the reality of not knowing all the answers. For example, if someone asks if a child will grow out of being gender nonconforming or transgender, an ally might say, No one can know, and it doesnt matter. Many of the general questions have no easy answers and participants may become frustrated that there is not a single way to be transgender or

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a single lifestyle that transgender people live. For example, participants may ask if all transgender people are suicidal or hate their bodies. In this situation, trainers might acknowledge that this is a generalization, that there are many ways to be transgender, and that all individuals differ. If facilitators encounter broad or unclear questions, asking clarifying questions (potentially a series of questions) allows for a more specic concern or question to emerge. Table 1displays a list of common questions and potentially effective responses. Some participants hold to very strong beliefs against transgender individuals regardless of how a facilitator responds to their questions. The purpose of these sessions is to promote school environments that treat all students with dignity and respect, not to change participants value systems. Trainers can respond in an afrming manner that acknowledges a belief system, reminds participants that a variety of belief systems exist, and returns the conversation to the common ground of safe schools. For example, a participant might say, I dont believe in all of this. Didnt God create male and female? The trainer might respond by acknowledging varying ideas about creation, theology, and gender (including that some people believe God created transgender people), stating the session is not a debate about right and wrong, and reiterate that the workshop goal is support for all children in schools (Wentling et al., 2008). This question may also imply that transgender people cannot also be religious or spiritual, which is not the case (Bockting & Cesaretti, 2001). Professionals and parents commonly express their desire to be connected to trans-afrming religious resources. Parents may want to know where to take their child to a religious service and how to talk to their religious leader about what their child is experiencing. One family reported that their transgender teenager was excommunicated from their place of worship for being transgender. Many parents have concerns about integrating religious beliefs and activities and the childs gender-nonconforming identity. Some fear their children are going to hell if they become this way. Others need some means of inclusive thinking to reconcile religious messages about LGBT individuals. Some search for a place of worship that welcomes all families and respects differences while others move to a different city due to perceived or actual threats to their child related to gender nonconformity (Brill & Pepper, 2008; Olson, Stone, & Pearson, 2011). Allies can locate trans-positive places of worship in their local area. If none exist, they may offer professional development for clergy and other leaders within religious institutions. Effective outreach includes Christian and non-Christian places of worship to serve the diverse needs of transgender individuals (Meier et al., 2011). Religious groups more inclusive of women may be more inclusive of LGBT persons in general (Elbel, 2011); on the other hand, those afrming of diversity based on sexual orientation may not automatically be inclusive of transgender individuals. Facilitators may advise

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TABLE 1 Common Questions Asked About Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Children With Possible Responses Questions How common is this? Arent these kids too young to know what their genders are? Are they just seeking attention?/Is this real? Possible Responses There is debate about the exact prevalence of this population. Estimates seem to range from 1 in 500 to 1 in 190,000, depending on the study (Meier & Labuski, 2013). Gender identity develops around ages two to ve (Zucker, 2005). Thats why we begin training allies in elementary school settings. We are not talking about sexual orientation, which is thought to develop closer to puberty. While it is possible that a child may dress differently for attention, it does not seem to be the case with the children referred to here, as they usually have a long-standing history of preferring clothing that is unexpected by our cultures gender norms. The WPATH (2012) standards of care and Endocrine Society guidelines (Hembree et al., 2009) do not recommend hormones until after age 16. Children taking medication related to gender transition may be taking medication that pauses puberty to determine which puberty they will go through. We all know that puberty is tough enough. Therefore, medical professionals may try to prevent the child suffering from going through more than one puberty cycle. Limited data available suggest that the developmental trajectory of gender dysphoria throughout childhood is varied (Wallien & Cohen-Kettenis, 2008). Most of these children will grow up to be LGBQ, while some will grow up to be transgender or gender-nonconforming. Parents are often concerned with wanting to know if their child will grow up to be gay or transgender. There is no way to know with complete certainty what the gender and sexuality of a child will be. The best thing to do is to provide a safe space for the child to discover these things. A child might be gay, but there is no way to tell. We are not talking about sexual orientation at this point but gender expression. All we know is that the child is gender-nonconforming and is at higher risk for bullying than gender-conforming children. There are a few areas that transgender children typically differ from non-transgender gender-nonconforming children (Ehrensaft, 2011). First, transgender children are typically more adamant about being a gender other than is listed on their birth certicate. They are also more likely to experience profound body dysphoria, while non-transgender gender-nonconforming children are more concerned about how they are expected to dress and act. Finally, a cross-gender presentation is more of an urgent matter of survival for transgender children versus a more playful exploration of creative gender possibilities. (Continued on next page)

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Do kids take hormones?

Will they grow out of this? Is this a phase?

Are these kids going to be gay? How can you tell?

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TABLE 1 Common Questions Asked About Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Children With Possible Responses (Continued) Questions What causes this? Possible Responses Many people have concerns that something they did or did not do caused a child to be transgender. This concern is unwarranted. Some research suggests that transgender people were born this way (Rametti et al., 2011; Veale, Clarke, & Lomax, 2010). Many people are curious about transgender peoples bodies. However, that is private information, and not all transgender people are eager to share. It would be appropriate to ask about transgender peoples bodies in two situations: (1) if you are a medical doctor who needs to know for a medically necessary reason or (2) if you want to date or be in a sexual relationship with a transgender person. There are also many different types of surgeries that trans people may or may not access, and these are typically reserved for those over age 18. No, but this remains a stereotype. Transgender identity is not a mental illness that can be cured with treatment. It is not a phase someone is going through. As in any segment of the population, some transgender people have mental health issues and others do not. If the child isnt sure, it is be a better to provide a safe space for that childs own development rather than push in a certain direction. Dealing with ambiguity may difcult, however, it can be one of the most important skills in supporting gender-nonconforming children. How students dress will depend on their individual school and its administration. Sometimes students will have to compromise with the school and would benet from support from their teachers and counselors. Using restrooms is only as big an issue as we make it. There are many creative options if a school will not allow a child to use the bathroom where he or she feels most comfortable. It is important to ensure safe access to the identied bathroom. In these cases, it is usually the transgender childs safety that is really in question, not the safety of other students. There are many reported situations of transgender people being harmed in bathrooms but almost none of transgender people harming others in bathrooms. Many schools allow transgender students to use the bathroom in the nurses ofce. Some states now have legal protections for transgender students to use the bathroom they feel most comfortable in, whether it be the male or female bathroom. Unfortunately, this may be the case, especially in more conservative areas. In Texas, you can be terminated for any reason. Instead of thinking about reasons why not to support students, lets return to talking about how to support students. Kids usually understand and accept this situation much faster than adults do. After a few days, they are already thinking about something else. (Continued on next page)

Have you completed your transition?/Have you had the surgery?

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Is this really a mental disorder?

What if the kid isnt really sure? Should I push the child one way or another? What if theres a dress code?/Can a male-to-female trans student wear a bra? What about using school/public bathrooms?

Will my job be threatened if I support trans students? What about the other children?

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TABLE 1 Common Questions Asked About Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Children With Possible Responses (Continued) Questions How can I get other people to use different names or pronouns if they are not legal? Possible Responses This may not be possible in all cases. If you have a non-discrimination statement that includes gender identity and gender expression, using names and pronouns should be expected as part of that policy. Some schools have ARD (admission, review, and dismissal) meetings for trans kids to provide the OHI (other health impairment) label with GID (gender identity disorder) of gender dysphoria as a diagnosis and include using the childs asserted names/pronouns and the childs asserted gender bathroom preference and dress code as part of the behavior plan. If not possible, it will be helpful if as many people as possible use the childs desired names/pronouns.

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workshop participants (e.g., teachers, counselors, clinicians) to encourage families to contact religious groups and places of worship in the area to ask if they have openly transgender members or clergy as well as inquire about their specic beliefs concerning gender-nonconforming or transgender children.

WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT OUTCOMES

Educators and counselors participating in the GLSEN workshops and the practitioner-focused transgender youth training sessions often report on formal evaluations and within informal communications to facilitators that they will implement changes based on what they learned. Considering these workshops and professional development sessions together, approximately 93% of participants report they acquired new knowledge or skills as a result of attending. For example, many participants indicate they plan to share resources, workshop handouts, and ideas generated during the sessions with colleagues and direct supervisors when they return to their schools or counseling settings. Some even order new resources for their students, clients, and professional colleagues, such as library books covering gender nonconformity and national research reports about trans youth experiences of bullying. In addition, some participants become advocates for bringing a workshop or training session to their own school, organization, or national professional conference to provide trans youth ally information to a broader audience. Educators and counselors also report that the practical role-playing exercises made them more likely to intervene when they hear anti-trans comments or harassment among students and even colleagues. Many also report that small group brainstorming with other professionals about how to react in specic scenarios gave them practical ally experience and greater condence in terms

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of intervening. With regard to ally behavior in direct contact with trans youth, participants indicated they would support preferred pronouns and preferred names of students.

IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING ALLIES TO TRANISITIONING AND GENDER-NONCONFORMING YOUTH

Based on our experiences as trainers and previous research documenting the common training practices (Carroll, 2010; Cole et al., 2000; DePaul et al., 2009; Gonzalez & McNulty, 2010; Goodrich & Luke, 2009), current curriculum models for preparing K12 adult educators and counselors fail to properly address gender-nonconforming youth and appropriate adult ally behavior to support them. The Gender Innity Practitioner training model enhances development of adult allies by providing direct access to experts from medical, educational, and counseling elds, encouraging and modeling research-based trans youth support in K12 settings, and addressing participant concerns that may arise from cultural context (e.g., religiously based questions within a session). The GLSEN sessions effectively serve goals of developing adult allies for transformation of school environments by customizing workshops to meet participant needs, facilitating interactive discussions with applied and practical activities, and focusing on the promotion of safe schools for all students. As mentioned, the conservative sociocultural context of Texas called for consideration of the impact of religious beliefs and values on not only workshop facilitation, but also willingness to engage in ally behavior. In more progressive regions of the United States, these concerns may surface less often. However, workshop facilitators will likely encounter religion-based questions or comments and should be prepared to address them by refocusing the conversation (e.g., bringing the discussion back to the necessity for a safe learning environment for all students). In situations or regions where participants may have previously encountered transgender information, the professional development focus may shift to more advanced information, more applied activities, and less basic information. However, preparation in the form of an extensive needs assessment will provide essential insight into participants previous knowledge base. Although the professional development workshops sessions described here provide advanced training for adult allies of transgender youth, workshops outside ofcial educational training will never succeed in reaching all educators and practitioners. Therefore, undergraduate and masters level curricular advancements to effectively educate future teachers and counselors are essential. It is the responsibility of the counseling and education programs in higher education to provide and require this training for counselors, clinicians, and teachers. As programs incorporate required trans ally

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development within the curriculum, educators and practitioners will develop essential skills and resources to fully support gender variant students. With quality trans ally professional development built directly into the curriculum for preservice teachers and counselors, adult allies will be prepared to prevent harassment and bullying of trans youth and promote safe learning environments for all students.

REFERENCES
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CONTRIBUTORS
Kim A. Case, PhD, an Associate Professor of Psychology and Womens Studies at the University of HoustonClear Lake, conducts research on ally behavior, privilege awareness, and inclusive climates for LGBT individuals. S. Colton Meier, PhD, Interprofessional LGBT Health Care Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and transgender health care specialist, conducts research and works clinically with LGBT populations, including Veterans, youth, and families, and provides LGBT educational trainings to professionals in school, mental health, and healthcare settings.