S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. Today we're talking about recent executive orders and the impact on LGBTQ plus communities. I'm Jade Hyndman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. The San Diego LGBT center shares how they're preparing for battle in wake of growing anti-trans policies.
S2: We are going to be facing an onslaught of legislation and rhetoric that is meant to dehumanize us.
S1: Plus , how a ban on trans service members could impact the military. That's ahead on Midday Edition. Yesterday , President Trump signed a slew of executive orders that sought to repeal Biden era policies. One order repealed a provision that allows transgender people to serve in the military. And this clears the way for a complete ban on trans service members and could have a huge impact on San Diego as it is a military town. With more anti-trans legislation on the horizon. Local LGBTQ plus organizations are bracing themselves against continued attacks on the trans and non-binary community. Last week , I spoke with two guests from the San Diego LGBT Community Center who are helping to lead that work. Gloria Cruz Cardenas is the chief impact officer at the center , and David Vance is the senior manager of advocacy and civic engagement. I started by asking David about some of the biggest policies and actions they're watching out for as the second Trump term begins. Take a listen.
S2: So we know that a misinformation campaign and spreading false narratives around gender affirming care , and specifically accessing gender affirming care for youth has been a key part of this incoming administration's rhetoric. Um , for pretty much as long as this , uh , potential administration has been around. So we are we know that they attempt to target specifically access to gender affirming care for youth. We're also anticipating a ban on transgender folks openly serving in the military. So and I can just add a couple more things on that. And in particular around the military ban , we're also thinking about that , uh , in terms of how it will affect trans folks housing and trans folks access to health care , and also their access to good paying jobs. Uh , trans folks already disproportionately lack access to good paying jobs. They disproportionately lack access to housing and to quality health care. And this transgender military ban will take away that employment from them , in addition to destabilizing their housing and their health care.
S1: You mentioned gender affirming care for minors , and we're going to talk about that a bit more later in the show.
S2: So first of all , in in the state of California , we are fortunate that there are some state protections that are already on the books that will help protect access to gender affirming care. So in the state of California , we have those local protections on the books. But that is not the case for many other states in the Union. So states that have local legislatures that are largely made up of folks who are not supportive of the trans community or who have bought into the false narratives around gender affirming care. That's really where we're going to see the lack of access be impacted the most. But in terms of ongoing support at the center , we have our Project Trans program , which is led by two incredible trans non-binary leaders at the center who are able to provide direct case management for trans folks who are trying to navigate the health care system and access that care. So we have a team of folks at the center who is there specifically to help folks access that , in addition to providing peer support through some of our community groups and some of our discussion groups , a lot of trans folks are also feeling very isolated right now and justifiably very scared and afraid. Um , so the center also provides gathering spaces for trans and non-binary folks where they can come together and talk about these issues openly , in addition to the case management that's provided directly to clients.
S1: Well , and , Gloria , I want to bring you in here to talk about that trans military ban. David mentioned housing , health care and job opportunities.
S3: There's a lot of uncertainty around this trans military band. And , you know , we know that the administration has been discussing about bringing this forward. And , you know , nationally , we have over 15,000 active military members who could , you know , be harmed by this type of policy. And we know here in San Diego we're a military town , right. And so we know many of these folks live here. And one of the things that , you know , we're trying to do as an LGBT center is try to connect more with your active duty military members and see how we can be supporting in that moment of transition , also interacting more with our local military bases. So they see that the LGBT center could be a resource as they support local active members. It's going to be a tough time for them. And , you know , as David mentioned , this could be a moment where we're going to see folks who are already Impacted , uh , transgender folks , uh , have a harder time accessing stable jobs. And , you know , this trans military band will , you know , put some of these folks out in the streets.
S1:
S3: We know that in the past when these type of bands have happened , it has taken some time for them , some time for it to go into effect. You know , there's there's a lot of process and protocol that needs to happen in order for somebody to be discharged. And so it's going to , you know , take for a lot of us to unite and look into how we can provide that information to our community. We're looking into talking to the local VA , other offices that have supported folks transition out of the military. But in the meantime , just , you know , there's a lot of uncertainty. We don't know exactly what type of discharge that folks will get. And that has a huge impact because , you know , that could determine the level of access they have to their benefits. Many of these folks have been serving this country for years. You know , there are folks who , um , you know , signed up to be in the military. You know , they're they're very patriotic. And , you know , we want to make sure that they get the benefits they deserve and they have earned.
S1: And , you know , we can't forget about immigration policy , which has been a huge cornerstone of Trump's campaign. There are LGBTQ plus immigrants whose lives could change drastically under this next term , with Trump's promises to launch a mass deportation campaign. This process likely won't happen instantaneously , though.
S3: So one of the things that we've been doing is , um , combating misinformation related to the , um , how soon those deportations can happen. We do see that there will be a part of our population that could be impacted. There is over 180,000 undocumented immigrants living here in San Diego County. And so within that population , there's LGBTQ plus folks that we know are going to be impacted. And so we're about to launch a Know Your rights , uh , campaign that is , uh , targeting the LGBTQ plus community so that we also work with our local partners , ensuring that folks know know their rights , they know what kind of resources are available locally here through our county. There's a a legal defense program that they could access. There's other programs and other nonprofits that have been working here in our region to provide folks legal services that we're going to make sure that folks are aware of that.
S1: And , you know , David , the center did a press conference last week with other LGBTQ plus groups across San Diego to reaffirm , really , the commitment to protect human rights.
S2: So it is it's been immensely important for us as the center to not be doing our work independently , to not be doing our work in a silo , but to be doing work in coalition with other LGBTQ orgs in our county , with our elected officials and our community partners who work in other justice movements. Um , we are going to be facing an onslaught of legislation and rhetoric that is meant to dehumanize us and to undermine the rights and the equity that we have slowly made gains on achieving over the past several years. So it's more important now than ever in this moment for supporters of the LGBTQ community , supporters of equity and justice and truth to come together and say we are working together. We are uplifting each other's power. We are building power together in coalition. And that's really always been a part of the LGBTQ justice movement. We have always worked hand in hand with the reproductive justice movement , with the racial justice movement , with the environmental justice movement. And we are doing we are doing that in this moment as well. This is not the first time that our government has dehumanized us. This is not the first time that our government has tried to divide and separate our communities from each other. And , um , presenting that united front , I hope , sent an important message to our San Diego community that we are here , that we are ready to fight , that we are prepared , and that we have strategic organizing in place to collectively counter some of the attacks that will be detrimental to all of our communities. With this incoming administration.
S1:
S3: We are also joining together our resources. Right. I think one of the big things is that we are collectively working on ensuring that we have a united front , but that also means that our resources are available to the community. And as we are , you know , sharing about what we're doing legislatively and combating any misinformation that we're also ensuring folks have access to our emergency housing programs , to our crisis teams that are helping folks in any crisis. And so we're really ensuring that our collective resources are also being available as we are launching this type of conversations.
S1: You know , I mean , against the backdrop of all this anti-trans legislation , the House recently passed a bill that would ban trans women from participating in women's sports. I mean , how are you both feeling personally about the current social and political climate. David.
S2: How am I feeling personally ? I'm you know , it is it is a different page out of the same playbook , in the same way that LGB cisgender folks were scapegoated in the past. Trans folks are now. And immigrants , trans folks and immigrants are being scapegoated as the source of problems in our country. And , you know , it is it is a reflection of the same rhetoric , the same talking points around grooming and the government overstepping the rights of parents with their own children. It's it's quite literally the homophobia playbook that is now being applied to the trans community. It feels like a diversion. Um , it feels like an attempt to deliberately spread misinformation Information and false narratives to take attention away from real , ongoing issues in our country , like the impact of billionaires on elections , or like the many , many layers of inequities in our housing system , our health care system , our access to jobs , um , trans people and immigrants are being scapegoated and the finger is being pointed at them to avoid the powers that be having to be held accountable for their acts of injustice. And as my heart breaks for my trans and non-binary community in this moment , I've also been so inspired by the resilience of our community , even though sometimes where we can get a little bit tired of being resilient. It's been it's been really , really inspiring just to see how many folks even have reached out to us to want to get involved. To want to volunteer with us. To. Want to learn more about what we do. So yes , a lot of trans folks are feeling scared and unsure and isolated right now. Um , but a lot of a lot of folks , myself included , are also ready to do the good work. Um , to to hold the line on the advances that we've made on behalf of our community. Gloria.
S1: Gloria.
S4: And so.
S3: For me , it's very heartbreaking to be able to see our national leaders , um , having these conversations around , um , our community , being able to play sports. And , um , for me , it's personal. As a first generation Latina. Uh , I have a niece who's played high school sports , and hopefully it's going to play professionally and conversations around the table. Um , early on when she came out to my my brother and his wife , they were very concerned about her safety. Um , by her coming out as trans while playing sports in high school , and it's been a process with the family to openly accept that she is part of the transgender community and that we support her transition and in her process. Right. And I feel we made so much progress to have those roundtable conversations within our community with our own families. And now these type of policies are huge , a huge setback for us , for me personally , because I've been in that table with my brother and his wife , explaining how important it was to support them as they were opening up about their identity and how it was important for them to continue to play sports because that was their livelihood. Right. I think about folks being able to affirm their gender as a life saving opportunity , that we can support them. You know , I , my niece , was even to the point of being suicidal because they wanted to continue to play sports , but as they were changing even their clothing. You know , folks started questioning if they should be in the same locker room with the other players and , and things like that , that my , my family , out of fear were like , no , you can't be out. You know , if if you want to play sports , you can't be out. Um , and so I had to work with them throughout the years to get them to a place of acceptance and being okay , that that she can be authentically herself in school , playing sports with her friends. And now that she's about to head out to college , I'm concerned about this type of bills that are really going to impact her , uh , in her growth , in her journey professionally and in sports. So definitely very personal for me.
S1:
S3: You know , like , um , I think for us is , um , as advocates and organizers in the community , we really , you know , we've made so much progress in particular to how our community has certain protections , you know , certain rights protections that they could go away any now , any day now. Right. Like we're seeing how the policies and narratives are shifting. Conservative folks are , you know , leaning more towards , you know , taking us back to the closet in a way. Right. And we're not fond of that term , but I think , uh , we're not going to go back to where we've been. And I think that sense of resiliency , but also with the fear. Right. And and we're you know , I think for us , we we know what we need to do right from this moment on. Um , and if we don't have the support of our federal , uh , electeds or our leaders , we know that we need to ensure we're leaning on our state leadership and our local elected officials and and community leaders. Right. I think , um , as we go back to the learnings from our movement , our our community has supported each other. Um , and here in San Diego , you know that. I don't see any difference. And I think that we can achieve that if we continue to be united and , and work together to resolve these issues.
S1:
S3: We're open Monday through Friday. Our hours are from actually.
S2: Yes , they're from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. , Monday through Friday. And then on Saturday , I believe it's 11 to 3. So , uh , we are a walking center during those hours. Um , folks can also send us an email at any time. They can send an email to hello. At the center. SD then that's our front desk email so folks can email that to be connected to any kind of service. And if you would like to get involved with our advocacy and civic engagement team or be involved with us in that capacity , you can also email advocacy at the center. Org. But also just want to uplift that we are first and foremost a service provider , where the largest health and human services provider for the LGBTQ community in San Diego County. So as much as we would love to have you help with our advocacy work , if you are someone who just needs a service and needs assistance , we are here for you for that as well. And that can include crisis assistance , assistance navigating the housing system , the health care system , the project trans services that I mentioned earlier as well. So please don't hesitate to reach out.
S3: I would just like to add that we also offer all our services are provided regardless of immigration status. And so we welcome the community , whichever background they are welcome here at the center.
S1: That was my conversation with Gloria Cruz Cardenas , the chief impact officer at the San Diego LGBT Community Center , and David Vance , the senior manager of advocacy and civic engagement. Coming up , how gender affirming care for minors is being blocked across the country and the impact it could have on trans and non-binary youth in San Diego.
S5: When we talk about gender affirmation , that is really just affirming that others understand what someone's authentic gender is.
S1: KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Medications to block the onset of puberty for minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria are being banned across the country. In December , Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act. It includes a provision blocking what's known as gender affirming care for minors. And this summer , the Supreme Court is likely to uphold Tennessee's ban on care , according to NPR. We want to talk about how this could impact trans and non-binary youth and their families in San Diego. I'm here with Cathy Mo. She's the executive director at Trans Family Support Services , along with Darlene Tandoh , a licensed therapist at Tando Therapy Team , where she helps young people navigate their gender identity. Hello to both of you.
S6: Good afternoon. Thank you for having me.
S1: I'm so glad to have you here. Cathy , I'm going to start with you. I mean , let's let's define our terms.
S6: So it can include mental health care. It can include all kinds of different aspects of medical care for our minors in particular. As you have mentioned , there's hormone blockers. There's cross-sex hormones. Very rarely are minors having any access to surgery. General population. Often when you think of gender affirming care , a lot of people who are uneducated think about major surgeries , and that's just not the case. There are so many different elements. There's not a surgery that an adult trans person will access , and some people don't access any medical care. It doesn't make them any less transgender. It just means that that's what's right for them.
S1:
S6: Yes. We do a lot of work not only in supporting youth who maybe aren't out to their families and then supporting their families once they are out , but we do a lot of work in navigating that insurance and medical piece of it. Um , and it has gotten harder and harder. We do work across the country , and with 26 states now that have banned this care for minors. We're working diligently to make sure that those families still can get access outside of their state , making sure their insurance is still covering it. And now with the Tricare ban , which I will say it was one sentence in an 85 page document. So it was a it was just part of a whole overall whole bill. Um , but working with those families or military families that are often struggling to make ends meet , to make sure that their kids are still getting the care that they need.
S1:
S6: Um , we're looking at from our clientele , somewhere between 6 and 7% of the youth that we're serving are in military families. Some of them are already carry insurance outside of Tricare. If it's a dual income household , maybe one. One parent has outside insurance through their employer besides the military insurance. So it's really hard to to define. But I will say that , you know , the rhetoric around trans care for minors has gotten so much attention , but even MPR has put out recently that less than 2000 individuals are really accessing this level of medical care of hormones and blockers. It's a total of 3000 youth. So it's such a small percentage. It's 0.1% of the population. And yet it's getting so much airtime. Of how terrible this is. But it's medically necessary care. According to medical and mental health professionals.
S1:
S6: One is having lost the the marriage rights fight that went on for decades. It shifted to what other marginalized population can we look at to withhold rights ? And it just has become this this very loud and pervasive rhetoric and hate. And and I believe we have politicians across the country that have tried to gain power and elections based on misinformation around trans minors.
S1: There's a lot of things we could be solving. Yes , a lot of things that could take priority. I know I.
S5: Want to pipe in here about gender affirming care. A lot of times folks focus so much on the medical interventions , and it has everyone really kind of in a tizzy about , uh , fear of regret and making changes to one's body. And I think in large part , they're missing the gender affirming part of this treatment , the affirmation that comes from feeling the dysphoria of not having a sex that was designated to you , that does not match your gender. And that feels extremely painful and extremely uncomfortable. So the person experiencing that is not able to , you know , basically have the authenticity that that others are born into. And so to be able to affirm someone's gender identity is not only a quality of life situation , but it's also usually a life saving type of intervention. And so when we talk about gender affirmation , that is really just affirming that others understand what someone's authentic gender is , and that can be any way it can be. Using the right pronouns , social transition , possibly legally changing name and gender. And then also , of course , it feels better to have your body , um , reflect your authentic gender identity. And that is where the affirmation comes from , these medical treatments.
S1: When I hear you highlighting Darlene is how important mental health is to gender affirming care. And I know you work a lot with children and helping them navigate and affirm their gender identity. Talk more about that and what you've heard from trans and non-binary youth.
S5: I think there's sort of two parts right now. One is the fear of not being able to access crucial medical care , life saving care right now , and that feels really scary to parents. Um , parents are not coming to me with an agenda to have their child change genders. Parents are coming to me with fear and sometimes resistance of understanding their child's authentic gender. But once they do , they know how crucial these interventions are. And so then parents are left scared , unable to access , if they would be unable to access , medical care would be devastating. And that's happening all over the country. Um , and so kids are left feeling not only will I may not be able to access this care that could help me live authentically , but there's this overriding sense of the majority of the country doesn't want me to exist. The people in power don't want me to exist , and they're not willing to protect my right , my basic human right of authenticity , like so many others have the privilege of having from birth. So there's a lot to wrangle with. It's logistically , and it's also a huge hit to the identity formation that particularly for my adolescence and my young adults trying to figure out who they are and how they fit into this world when they're being sent such a horrible message.
S1: You know , KPBS recently spoke with a parent about their child's experience with gender affirming care. This is Rebecca , who declined to give her last name out of concern for her child's privacy. But she told KPBS about the difficulties she's facing in securing care.
S7: It's infuriating. It's frustrating and it's challenging for my daughter , who is just trying to be who she is , make her body match her mind. And if if my child had any other illness , if she had diabetes , if she had cancer , if she had a broken bone , they would take care of her , no problem. Or at least I hope they would. Insurance is getting harder and harder to use every day , but I feel like the fact that it is something that is needed by such a small minority of the population , and something that is so politically volatile , I feel like they can get away with just saying no.
S1:
S6: So , you know , we I've been in this field for over a decade. Back before most insurance companies covered any of this care , certainly before they covered it for minors. Then we moved into this era of when it started to become more available. Insurance companies , particularly here in California , were mandated. The Affordable Care Act , section 1557 says you can't discriminate based on sex. So that became open for people across the country. But now , with these bands in place , and with certain states withholding Medicaid funds from people that are trying to get this care , even adults , this , this fear that they have. And like Darlene talked about , you know , youth who come to me and say , I don't know why I should even exist. My government hates me. Like when you have middle schoolers saying that to you and the sense of hopelessness that's there. And so , you know , for us as an organization and representing these communities of youth and their families , moving the the needle everywhere we can of bringing in factual information , trying to help to dispel some of this misinformation. And and I want to come back to something that Darlene said , because it really is so important that gender affirming care can be even just being seen for who you are at your school. And we have seen across the county of San Diego school boards that are trying to bring in anti-LGBTQ policies. So these kids who are struggling to be seen and affirmed for who they are , are also having this problem at school. So when we talk about gender affirming care , certainly there's the mental health care , there's the medical care , there's issues at school , there's issues in homes. You know , we spent a lot of time in the month of month of December , working with our families who were going to their biological families , their extended families for the holidays. And how do you navigate when you have people who don't see you for who you are ? So there is a plethora of of issues and challenges that in particular our adolescents , our young adults are having to navigate at a time and place when they have so many other things they're trying to navigate as well.
S1: And there's a lot of misinformation about gender affirming care , some of which has been weaponized by conservative lawmakers and people with public influence.
S5: And the regret narrative is something that scares a lot of people. Um , parents of trans kids and also , um , folks who feel like they may be protecting trans kids from making a a quote unquote big mistake. And so one of my colleagues , Bixby Moreno , talks about the dignity of risk and the right to regret that. That there is this empowerment in following your gender identity and and being allowed to be authentic where you feel or how you feel in your gender identity at that time. However , the the the rate at which folks tend to regret transition is so incredibly low that most kids , most kids who socially transition , it's been shown that they continue in their asserted gender and that those who undergo medical treatment or surgery. American Journal of Surgery just came out with a study that less than 1% of folks have any regret regarding gender affirming surgery. Um and Jama Pediatrics came out in March of 2024 that , um , less than 6% have any type of re-identification with birth registered sex , and a smaller proportion who even went underwent any type of medical care. Um , and so I think that is really being pushed as something that is a really huge risk. And anecdotally , and the statistics show that it is not a high level of regret. And sometimes if there's a , you know , a winding pathway or a course correction , that that can actually be a beautiful kind of evolving of self or an evolving understanding of gender. Um , not a not a very bad thing to avoid or something that needs to be avoided at all costs.
S1:
S6: And , you know , parents have the right. I agree , parents have the right. As a parent , I have the right to consent to medical care for my minor child in tandem with the team of caregivers that I have come to trust. And so to take that right away. For politicians to say you can't access this care because we don't believe in it. Rather than me being able to have the right as a parent to make a decision based on medical facts and people who know my child individually. The parental right fight just doesn't match that muster. Because you're taking away my right.
S1: Still to come , we continue the conversation about how families with trans youth are navigating this new landscape as more lose access to care.
S6:
S1: Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hyndman. I'm joined by Kathy Molly , executive director at Trans Family Support Services , and Darlene Tandoh , a licensed therapist at Tando Therapy Team. We're continuing the conversation about gender affirming care for minors and how possible bans could affect them and their families moving forward. Like we mentioned at the top of our conversation , the status of gender affirming care across the country is at risk. And I want to dive more into some of these specific bans. Military families under Tricare are losing access to gender affirming care for their children , as you mentioned , Kathy. KPBS recently reported on how they could be affected.
S6: The Supreme Court decision that's coming in June , all of these different factors and and families just want an answer. You know , our our innate sense as humans is when we're in crises , we try to find the solution in the way out. And so families are like , can I go to Canada and get care ? Can I go to Mexico and get care ? Some families are looking at moving out of the country because they have the access to do that. Certainly not everybody has the access for any of those things. So we're working in in California with our politicians and with our legislator to make sure that we hold on to all of the rights that we have right now for our trans youth when it comes to medical care and when it comes to their identities at school and all of their rights. But on a federal level , that's going to be a whole different fight that we don't really know for sure what's coming. We know something's coming.
S1: Right ? Well , Darlene , anything to add to that ? Yeah , I think it's.
S5: You know , I see a lot of fear , a little bit of panic when it comes to not having an insurance that will cover medical care , particularly hormone blockers and hormone blockers are a really pivotal piece of the medical puzzle for trans youth , and it allows their body to not go through a puberty that feels very alarming and very like a betrayal by their body that doesn't reflect their gender identity. And so that hormone blocker piece is really important and also very expensive , inaccessible for many folks out of pocket. And so now that Tricare has outlawed , um , that care , um , you know , folks are trying to look into other insurances. That's not possible for some families. Please. Um , and I think it's , it's a it feels like a betrayal for them that they've served their country. And now the insurance that they have for their children is not willing to pay for this life. Life saving and quality of life improving care.
S1: And I want to talk about the potential Scotus ban. Earlier in the conversation , we heard from Rebecca. She also talked about how this care has been life saving for her child , and how losing that care could affect their mental health.
S7: I'm severely worried about my child's mental health and mental state. Before she came out and we knew what was going on with her. She was pretty mentally unstable. Um , we had some serious mental health crisis moments. Life threatening , suicidal tendencies kind of moments. And I'm afraid if she can't get the kind of care that she needs to continue to , you know , be who she really is , we might end up back there.
S1: Wow , Darlene , is this sense of fear and uncertainty.
S5: And so we're we're kind of having this anxious curiosity right now about what's going to happen , hoping that these rights will continue to be protected. I know Kathy works with more folks in other states , but I think that it's it's sort of an interesting change to go from trying to really trying to get parents on board and try and trying to get parents to understand what's going on and become affirming. Now it's really shifted to a lot more knowledge and a lot more information out there that parents now have the privilege of understanding their kids a little bit younger and maybe being able to affirm them a little bit younger. And now they're in the position of even if I affirm my child at home and I want to get them this care , um , others may not allow me to do that. And I think that's a horrible disempowerment for parents. Um , and I can hear the the worry and the panic and Rebecca's voice that even though she maybe had even struggled to support or to affirm the child at first and then realize this is the right thing for my kid and this is what I need to do , and then to be unable to do that. It just has to be heartbreaking.
S1: And Kathy , as Darlene just alluded to , you know , this this idea that California is in a bubble. You know , California law protects gender affirming care.
S6: The governor had a special session that the legislator worked to reappropriate funding , so that the attorney general would have more leeway to be able to fight things that we know are coming across from this , this new administration. So , you know , the powers sort of over here that the average family may be disconnected from and not really understand , are fighting for their rights. But in in coming back to your question and , and you know , the , the interview with Rebecca , this is what we're dealing with is families who are very afraid. Families who , you know , as Darlene mentioned , may have taken time to get to an understanding about their kids gender identity. And during that time , maybe there were some some suicidality pieces , some mental distraught moments or time. And they feel like , okay , we're on the other side of that now , but there is this looming sort of blackness above that says , we could go back there because this care may not be available.
S1: How likely is it that we'll see a Scotus ban affect San Diego ? And you think.
S6: Well , that's that's the million dollar question , right ? Um , going into the opening arguments , the , the , the legal experts had kind of won one sense of what they thought was going to happen. And then some things happened and there's some questioning that happened that sort of changed that perspective a little bit. So , you know , will they hold up Tennessee ? Possibly. Will there be a federal ban ? Probably not. There's , you know , from from 1 to 5 of one being a great decision , five being the worst that any of those things could happen. Um , in the meantime , we just have to keep working at educating the masses , because the anti-trans rhetoric that came along with this last presidential campaign really was pervasive. It was easily digestible and repeatable , and people think that they're now educated and they're educated on misinformation. So part of our mission is to continue to educate as many people as we can what the facts are around our trans minors population in particular , and what that that affirming of identities looks like.
S1: And Darlene , do you have any thoughts on that , especially as we head into this next presidential term and more anti-trans legislation is likely on the horizon ? Yes.
S5: You know , I think about Scotus bans and there are Scotus bans on certain things that are still legal in California. So that gives me some hope. Um , but as far as mental health , um , of my clients , you know , a lot of it is finding community , finding this as a collective experience. Um , so many people are going through this , and I try to remind my clients , you're not alone in this. There are many , many people who support you. Um , and also know what your what you're going through , but it's it's it's going to be a tough road , especially , like I said , when , when our youth are feeling really attacked , really under attack in their in their own country.
S1: And you know , if young people and their families are looking for support and resources , how can they reach out to you ? I'll start with you on that , Darlene.
S5: My website is up. Darlene. I have a team of therapists who , many of whom are in the LGBTQ plus community and also , um , some are associates , some are licensed clinicians. And we are all adept and affirming when it comes to gender work.
S1: And Cathy.
S6: Yeah , so folks can find us at Trans Family S.O.S. dot org. We provide a youth community groups. Darlene just talked about the community piece being so important. We have nine different parent support groups. We work very diligently to meet people where they are and to help bring that level of education. We also have all the insurance and medical navigation that trans individuals of all ages can benefit from. In. There are no fees for any of our services.
S1: I've been speaking with Kathy Molloy , executive director at Trans Family Support Services , and Darlene Tandoh , a licensed therapist at Tandy Therapy Team. Kathy , Darlene , thank you so much for this conversation.
S5: Thank you for having me.
S6: Thank you for highlighting it. It's very important.
S1: For additional resources. Be sure to check our page at KPBS midday. That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
