Chris Mosier, the first transgender athlete on a U.S. national team, is starring in a new Nike ad during the Olympics. If you’re watching with your kids, however, they may (like mine) have questions about what it means to be transgender. Here are some resources to help you answer.
- My go-to resource on anything involving gender identity and children is Gender Spectrum, which helps to create gender sensitive and inclusive environments for all children and teens. Many of their resources are aimed at families with transgender and gender nonconforming children, but they also have plenty for those wanting to explain gender identity to cisgender children. I recommend their page of Education resources as a great place to start, either way. (It includes a section on transgender people and sports, too.)
- HRC’s Welcoming Schools has a nice page of “LGBTQ Definitions for Children” that includes “transgender.” Its list of “Children’s Books to Support Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth” is also very helpful.
- Bustle’s article, “5 Tips For Explaining A Transgender Family To Your Kid,” by Kendra Gayle Lee, who has a trans partner, is a useful combination of personal story and practical advice.
- GLAAD’s “Transgender FAQ” and “Tips for Allies of Transgender People” are aimed at adults, but may be useful background for parents, teachers, and others seeking to gain a better understanding before discussing transgender topics with kids.
- Sex is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU
by sexuality educator Cory Silverberg and illustrator Fiona Smyth, covers bodies, gender, touch, and types of relationships in a way inclusive of all gender identities. Aimed at eight- to ten-year-olds, it follows their 2013 book for the very youngest children, What Makes a Baby
, which similarly tackles its topic in a way that works for all family structures, types of family creation, and parents’ gender identities.
Here’s the ad. My only criticism, brought to my attention by a trans acquaintance, is that it asks, “How’d you know you’d be fast enough to compete against men?” which implies Mosier isn’t a man himself. “Other men” would have been a better phrasing. Still, the ad’s heart is in the right place, and I think its overall impact will be positive. Best of luck to Mosier at the Games.
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