Trans Youth Emergency Project

Accessing best-practice gender-affirming care for transgender youth is becoming increasingly challenging: 27 states have passed laws banning or restricting care, the U.S. Supreme Court has upheld these bans in the Skrmetti v. L.W. case, and the current Administration has pursued a relentless campaign attacking access. As a result, thousands of transgender youth and their families are being forced to try to find new healthcare providers, travel extreme distances, and take on significant expenses just to get the care they need. Today In the Den, we’ll talk with Amanda Keller from The Trans Youth Emergency Project (TYEP), a program that was created to help families navigate this complex and exhausting maze, offering logistical and financial support. 

Special Guest: Amanda Keller

Amanda Keller is a Southern LGBTQIA movement leader working at the intersection of strategy, equity, and liberation. As Manager of Strategic Partnerships at the Campaign for Southern Equality, she is helping lead efforts to Meet the Moment, mobilizing resources, forging powerful cross-sector partnerships, and advancing equity across race, gender, and class in a region where the stakes for LGBTQIA  people could not be higher. With more than 16 years of nonprofit leadership, Amanda has built institutions and movements that center those most often pushed to the margins. As the Founding Director of the Magic City Acceptance Center in Birmingham, Alabama, she grew a grassroots vision into a statewide hub serving thousands of LGBTQIA youth, families, and community members, expanding access to affirming services, leadership development, and community power across Alabama. Her work spans youth development, HIV advocacy, public policy engagement, and cultural organizing, grounded in a clear belief: the South is not a lost cause — it is a place of courage, resilience, and possibility. Her career is defined by one throughline, ensuring that where you live does not determine whether you are safe, affirmed, or free.

Links from the Show:

• Find the Trans Youth Emergency Project here
• Join TYEP’s Parent Support Group 
• Volunteer with Campaign for Southern Equality
• Listen to the Trans Cookout Podcast
• Supportive Schools Program
• Send a Message of Support to Trans Youth
• Join Mama Dragons today

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at www.mamadragons.org. 

Transcript

SARA: Hi everyone. Welcome to In the Den with Mama Dragons. A podcast and community to support, educate, and empower parents on the journey of raising happy and healthy LGBTQ+ humans. I’m your host, Sara LaWall. I’m a Mama Dragon myself and an advocate for our queer community. And I’m so glad to be part of this wild and wonderful parenting journey with all of you. Thanks for joining us. We’re so glad you’re here. 

SHAUNA: Hi friends, and welcome to In the Den with Mama Dragons. This is Shauna filling in for Sara. Accessing best practice gender-affirming care for trans youth is becoming increasingly challenging. Twenty seven states have passed laws banning or restricting care. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld these bans in the Skrmetti v. LW case. And the current administration has pursued a relentless campaign attacking access. As a result, thousands of transgender youth and their families are being forced to try to find new healthcare providers, travel extreme distances and take on significant expenses just to get the care they need.

Today In the Den, we'll talk with Amanda Keller from the Trans Youth Emergency Project, otherwise known as TYEP. A program that is created to help families navigate this complex and exhausting maze offering logistical and financial support. So welcome to the Den, Amanda. We're so happy to have you here.

AMANDA: Thank you so much, I'm excited to join you.

SHAUNA: Will you start us off by telling us about how TYEP, is that how you say it? Tie up?

AMANDA: Yeah.

SHAUNA: How it came to be, and also how you personally became involved.

AMANDA: Yeah that's a great question and one of my favorites. So, again, my name is Amanda Keller, my pronouns are she, her. And I'm the Manager of Strategic Partnerships with Campaign for Southern Equality, working with the TYEP program. And I just want to start by saying that we know this is an extremely challenging time, following several years that have already been extremely challenging. So we're sending love and support to you during this time. And I cannot wait to tell you more about this program. So to begin, acknowledging that it has been a really tough several years for our trans and non-binary communities, we acknowledged as a program created in the South for Southerners hoping to create a space for all Southerners to not only live but thrive. We saw most of the trans care bans beginning in the South. My background is I was running an LGBTQ center in Alabama, where in 2022, we saw the most comprehensive LGBTQ anti-trans package passed at that time, followed by Mississippi, Georgia, all the other southern states. So as we were seeing southern states fall in line with this kind of copy-paste anti-trans rhetoric, and then anti-trans bills that were passing rapidly, Campaign for Southern Equality stepped up and said, “We see you. We support you. We want to make sure that you can continue to have access to the care that you so desperately need and deserve.” And so CSE, through the TYEP program, began providing families with $500 grants to navigate getting to states where they can access care. And as we know, now that we are at 27 states, the state care bans were not just limited to the South. They began to pop up everywhere. And so Campaign for Southern Equality realized we were poised to support people across the country, just because our mission is to support Southerners does not mean that we will only support Southerners. So in 2023, we expanded that program and started doing nationwide support. So now, the TYEP program, the Trans Youth Emergency Project, will support people in any state with a state care ban, meaning that anyone under the age of 19 or 18, depending on the state age of emancipation, will receive a $500 travel grant to access care in a state where that ban is not in place. And then also, as clinics continue to close – we know that Chicago, New York, a lot of places have seen clinic closures – we'll provide those families a $500 one-time grant as well, just to make sure that they have access and support to find another location to receive care. And as part of that, it's not just a financial support, as you mentioned. It's a navigation support. And so, all families need to do is go to transyouthemergencyproject.org, fill out a quick application, just let us know a little bit about you, where you are, where you're coming from, and where you need to go. And our navigators will hop on a call with you and figure out exactly how we can get you connected to care, whether that be if you have family in another state, and it's easier to stay with them, or it's easier to go to a state next door, or you want to travel across the country. We will assist you not only with that travel grant, but also navigation support so that you've got a couple of options to continue that care.

SHAUNA: That's awesome. I think those of us listening who have trans young people know what life is like trying to find access healthcare, but maybe not all of our listeners have trans children themselves and understand. Can you explain a little bit about the necessity of providing these services for trans youth?

AMANDA: Definitely. So, we know, statistically, that trans kiddos who have full support, wraparound support from families, are more likely to grow up to be happy, thriving, successful adults. And so that's the case across the board with LGBTQ kiddos. We know that support is important, having those pillars of support, whether it be families, social spaces, community support, whatever that may be. For those who have the support that they need to live authentically, they are just going to live happier, healthier lives. And as part of that, that includes gender-affirming care for trans kiddos. Trans kids have started coming out earlier and earlier. The average used to be 11 and now it's closer to age 9. And we have families who see kids start to express their gender identity a lot younger than that. And so part of affirming trans kids is seeing them and acknowledging those changes and creating space for those who are persistent, consistent, and insistent about their identity. And so, we're not saying that we want every single kiddo to just immediately start care. That is not our goal. Our goal is just to make sure that those who are ready to start care with family support who've had these conversations, that they can do so. So again, if they are persistent, consistent, and insistent about their identity, there are ways to begin care to assure that they can grow up and be happy and be affirmed. And the beginning step for a lot of kiddos is puberty blockers, and that is just a way that they can begin to halt some of the puberty so that, for instance, trans men don't develop breasts or trans women can halt some of their puberty process as well. These are completely safe, approved by multiple societies of medicine. Not a doctor but just do want to share that a lot of people think that gender-affirming care automatically means surgery. And for a lot of folks, that's not the case. They start with things like changing their name in their family circle. They start by doing what we call social transition, so changing clothing, changing hairstyle, just beginning to live authentically as that identity. And then from there, people look into puberty blockers, and the like. A lot of those actually don't start until kids are pre-teen, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. That is a normal age for folks to begin those. And then they can start looking into hormone therapy and that is when we start to see medicine really make changes to the body. Again, that is all done with the approval of doctors and wraparound care from different medical groups. But that is what we are talking about, providing access to, for these kids who see themselves, who know themselves, to be exactly who they are, to continue to get that care so that they can live as that person.

SHAUNA: Yeah, and just to kind of confirm what you're saying, I have a cisgender son who was a candidate for puberty blockers. And they talked about the safety and efficacy of puberty blockers for him, because they were concerned that he was starting puberty too early. And then the conversation with my trans son about puberty blockers has been so different. You know, it's the same medication used for very similar, the same purpose. But some states will only provide that service to your cisgender children and not to your transgender children, which means then you have to seek that elsewhere, which is where your organization comes in helping to find – like it can be overwhelming to even know where to start looking to get the care for your child, and if everyone around you is saying, “No, you can't have that. No, that's inappropriate. No.” It can feel overwhelming. So I think it's amazing that you're offering services. So you kind of mentioned this, who is eligible for services?

AMANDA: Yeah, great question. So anyone with a trans kiddo is technically eligible to reach out to us. So we provide any number of services. Those that are most eligible, especially for the travel grant, are those who are families of a trans minor living in a state with a care ban for gender-affirming care. So those are the folks who, if you reach out and you need support with navigation, we will provide that as well as the travel grant if all of that qualifies. And then other folks who are eligible are families just seeking navigation. We've seen a lot of families who recently have had to change care to a different location because that location is pre-complying or over-complying, being pressured because of CMS guidelines, all sorts of things to – if you were losing access to care, even if you were in a state that provides that care, we will help you navigate that. And then we also have trans adults reach out to us who are looking for navigation support as well. So if you are listening to this and you're saying, “Huh, I'm not a trans kid, but I really do need to know where I can access care, I'm having trouble. The place where I receive care currently is questioning what it looks like to stop that care.” We can help you with that.

SHAUNA: Yeah, how do your patient navigation services work? Is that mostly online, information online? Do you talk with a live person? What happens there?

AMANDA: Yeah, these are live, in-person calls with folks just like me and another, other amazing members of our team. So all you have to do, again, is go to transyouthemergencyproject.org, fill out that application, just let us know. There are several options you can choose. If you're a parent of a trans kiddo, you can choose if you're a trans adult seeking navigation, you can let us know what you're looking for. And then we'll hop on a call with you and figure out exactly what works for you. I've talked to families in Florida who want to spend New Year's in New York. And we've made that happen. And so if you want to start your care in New York and just have a fun road trip, or vacation every 6 months, great. We're going to support you in doing that. Or if you are someone who it's most convenient to just cross the state line and access care there, we'll help you with that as well. So, it doesn't matter where you want to go, how far you need to go, we’ll help provide people information about navigation services across the country that best fit their needs. And then we also work with an incredible group called Elevated Access, and they'll assist with flights.

SHAUNA: We've interviewed them. We love them.

AMANDA: Yeah, we adore them. So it's really beautiful. I feel like a fairy godmother every single day, very queer fairy godmother, who gets to hop on calls with folks and say, “Not only have we got your back. We support you. We see you. We hear you. We're grateful for you supporting your kiddo. Here's a travel grant to help you access that care. Oh, and also we're going to provide flights for you just to magically make this all a little bit easier, considering that this climate has already been so tough for you and your family.”

SHAUNA: It's giving Make-A-Wish for trans folks.

AMANDA: Yes.

SHAUNA: It's such a beautiful thing.

AMANDA: Yeah, exactly.

SHAUNA: Such a needed thing. Okay, a key part of your work I read is documenting the crisis. Can you tell us more about that?

AMANDA: Yeah, so we have an incredible team, our comms team keeps up to date, 24-7 was scanning bills. One of our comms people this morning just reported that she was tracking 77 bills across the country. So, right, in order to do this work, we also need to know what's happening to people. We don't want to assume that we know everything. So we have a team on the ground making sure that we are staying up to date with legislation, with closures of clinics. We just saw Vanderbilt announce that they will be ceasing any kind of gender-affirming care surgeries for folks. So, we’re keeping up with that so that we can have a direct response. So when things like that happen, we'll reach out to partners in that area, and we can offer a town hall. So, for instance, if something big happens in a specific state, we'll say, “Hey, y'all. We see you and we want to make sure that you know what's available to you, what our team can offer, as well as what other things are available.” And we'll offer a town hall. It's just a one-hour event that is over Zoom, that is open to the public for people to join, ask questions, connect with an attorney who is not their attorney, who can't represent them, but who can provide some really great guidance about what all these rules and what all the legislation means. So we try to pair our work with staying very informed and then being able to directly respond to big changes.

SHAUNA: That is so helpful. It's hard, even just like, in my state of Idaho, a lot is happening, and laws are being passed, and things are being discussed. And it can feel really overwhelming as a parent to try and track, and keep track of where we are with everything. And I know, some families have moved to bluer states, and are now facing, like you said, the preemptive compliance and stuff. And so they're now unable to get care, even though they've moved to a “safer” area for their family. So I think that that's really an important work, is having somebody to help just keep track of the crisis for us so that we have a place to go to figure out what options we still have left to us.

AMANDA: Exactly, yeah. I definitely really appreciate the fact that we try to stay one step ahead so that if there's a surge in families coming from a specific state, we know why. And we're already prepared to support them in accessing care somewhere else. We also work directly with a lot of those hospitals to make sure that they know that we're available to provide navigation and support. A lot of these hospitals have done a really great job referring folks out to other spaces. But in the case that they're not able to do that, we're already in touch with them, and in touch with community groups so that they can be immediately available to respond to the needs of their community around them.

SHAUNA: That's awesome. I saw mentioned on your website “an ecosystem of care.” Can you explain what that means, and what does it offer to families?

AMANDA: Yeah, I love this part. I'm really proud to work for such a comprehensive organization who just really, truly is putting trans kids and their families as the most important group of folks right now. And so, as part of that wraparound care, as we've mentioned, the TYEP program is just one of many, many ways to support these kiddos and their families. We also have a monthly support group for parents and caregivers of trans youth. So that happens online each month. And we can also direct you to a million other beautiful groups, just like Mama Dragons, who are doing really great work. But we know that there's never enough support, right?

SHAUNA: That’s the truth.

AMANDA: There is so much need right now, and there is so much going on, that we're just another one of the many amazing resources providing support. Join us for our monthly support group for parents. That is something that you can find online on our website. We regularly put out different toolkits. We have a Keep Your Head Up Virtual Wellness Toolkit that's designed by some of our Southern Studios Art Program folks. And then we have a really great podcast that I adore, it's called Trans Cookout. And so for folks looking for a little bit of joy and happiness, if you're enjoying this podcast and want to continue to lean into more Trans Joy, head over and look at our Trans Cookout Listening series. It's really beautiful and just celebrates a lot of different adults and trans folks in advocacy doing the work, and kind of where they are, and how they're contributing to this movement and meeting the moment right now. So those are just some of the many things that we do in addition to schoolwork. We have a Supportive Schools program that is advocating for LGBTQ books in school libraries, that is supporting kiddos in accessing the care that they need. We partner with folks like GSA Network, so it's just some of the many things we do. But if you are LGBTQ in the South, or trans, anywhere in the country, I guarantee we have some way of supporting you and would love to be in touch.

SHAUNA: That's so fantastic. Back to the parent support group. Is it interactive? Like, I know some moms are going to be like, “I want to kind of listen in, I don't really want to participate, I want to learn, but I don't…” and others are going to want to find – like, I'm curious to hear what the format of the support group is like.

AMANDA: Yeah, I appreciate that. As someone who is introverted myself, I'm definitely one of those people that wants to kind of listen, engage what the situation is before I feel comfortable hopping in. And the most beautiful thing about this CSE team is that all of us – I'm just continuously blown away by the heart and the love and the care of this team. And similarly, the facilitators of this group are gentle and hold space for everyone to show up exactly as they are. They will meet you where you are. So if you're someone who comes in with a pressing need and really needs to share something, there's space for that. Or if you're someone who's not quite ready to share, but wants to be a part of it, as long as you are a parent or caregiver of a trans youth, you are absolutely invited into that space. And of course, there are plenty of ground rules and different settings to make sure everyone can show up authentically, and feel supported in doing so.

SHAUNA: That's fantastic. And we will go back through and kind of capture all of the resources you mentioned and try and get them all in the show notes, so that listeners can go through and find links to everything. We just had an episode about the Day of Reading and I love all of the connections that we're making here with different organizations. And I know my son came out about 10 years ago, and just the explosion in the last 10 years of resources. I hope that everybody listening knows that there are resources out there to support and help through all of the hard that's happening right now.

AMANDA: We love resources so much. And I cannot say enough – especially as someone who cut her teeth in organizing in Alabama, of all places. I’ve regularly faced conversations with folks saying, “Wow, I didn't know this existed.” And in the South, especially, or in places that feel really oppressive at times, it is really hard to imagine Googling “Trans support Alabama”. You wouldn't expect to find that. And similarly, right now, I think people are not thinking to Google “trans travel grants”; it just might not be something that you think is even possible because of the state of our climate. And so it is really exciting to be able to show up in spaces like this and shout to the rooftops that we have this resource. We've given $1.2 million to families in the last year. And we are doubling down and continuing that care. I just really appreciate you continuing to highlight resources like this, because we're out here. We're doing this work. And we want people to know that as things continue to close and feel less accessible, that we are working to reverse that.

SHAUNA: That is really beautiful. I think my next question is, Do you have tips or tricks on how to find an affirming healthcare provider? Like, in general, near you, or far from you. That can feel like a hard task for parents.

AMANDA: It is really challenging. And that's why we are providing the support that we're providing. Parents have a lot on their plates. You are busy adults who are working and caregiving and you have kiddos at home that you need to be taking care of who are having a really hard time right now. And that grief is also yours to carry, right? So, we know that as parents are grieving, as youth are grieving all of these big changes, we're here to support you in taking that off your plate. So if you're someone who's saying, “This is all overwhelming, I don't know how to search for this,” Just fill out that quick application. Our calls can be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, depending on how much you want to take of that time. But we're here for you to listen and support and connect you directly to those healthcare providers that we've been screening across the country, that we've been ensuring that we check in with on a regular basis to make sure they're still providing the services they share because folks are not easy to find anymore. They've removed words like “affirming”. They've removed words like “trans”. Sometimes you can find a little rainbow or a little visual indicator that they are somewhat supportive of something. But you don't know what, and you don't know what services. And so let us do that work for you so you can focus on taking care of yourself and your family.

SHAUNA: That is really beautiful to me. As a parent, it is everything you said. You're looking for little hints on their websites that they might be compassionate towards your family. And so I love that you've taken the work out of that for us. That's such a gift. Will you tell me about the Virtual Wellness Toolkit on your website?

AMANDA: Yeah, definitely. So we have an amazing group of people through our Southern Studios program who do a lot of work, especially locally. Our organization is based in Asheville, and so we have community care days where people can show up and have access to everything from art programs, to massage, to Reiki, to name changes. There's so much going on at all times for community folks in person. But also, if you're not able to join us in person, we have things like the Virtual Wellness Toolkit. So people can just check in and find something that works for them. What works for you, keep it. What doesn't work for you, feel free to drop it. But we try to put out different tool kits and different information to remind folks to take care of themselves during this time. That's especially why I love the Trans Cookout Listening Series, because it's such a good, strong reminder that we know this is hard, we know that there's a lot going on, and for parents trying to navigate this and support their kiddo at the same time and navigate legislation, we still want to focus on trans joy and resilience and acknowledge that there is a lot of joy in being trans, in being a part of the community. And so if you just need to check out of everything and tune into something joyful and hopeful, those resources are there.

SHAUNA: I'm going to add the Trans Cookout to my podcast rotation. That sounds like the perfect remedy. I think focusing on joy is good medicine during these times.

AMANDA: Yeah.

SHAUNA: That's awesome. Is there a way for our listeners to send messages of support?

AMANDA: Oh, I love this, yes. So if you're someone who has been supporting us, who's been a part of this, we're so grateful to everyone who supported the project and spread the word and donated and more since 2023. We are deeply honored to do this work. If folks want to support us, they are welcome to send a donation. That is a really beautiful way to continue to support this. You can just go to southernequality.org/supportTYEP, T-Y-E-P. Also just spreading the word. Again, we know that just resources are one of the most impactful ways that folks can continue to let folks know what is in existence. So spread the word to impacted families, interested donors, community organizations, care providers. And then, yeah, I think just personally, the navigators doing this work are doing some of the toughest work making sure that folks are continuing to be available for these calls, to check in with families. You can always send us – we have, internally, a really sweet category in our communication channels called Love Notes, that are just notes of support from community members or those impacted who just share their appreciation. So share appreciation for the TYEP team. Share appreciation for local families supporting their trans kiddos. One of the best things you can do is ask them what support they need. There are just so many ways to show up for trans communities right now. And all of it is as simple as a “Thank you for existing, I see you, I support you, I value you.” For your family and friends, supporting trans kids, show up for them, make them know that they're seen and supported. There's just no end to the gratitude and support that we can provide people supporting and loving trans kiddos.

SHAUNA: That's great. I was just thinking about, if we have found a supportive provider, is there a way to share that with you? Like, how does the database work? Like, how do you find out who is supportive and helpful?

AMANDA: Yeah. So definitely, if you find someone, especially a small family practice, or someone's creating a new practice, if you have a doctor who leaves one practice and starts another, let us know. You can absolutely send us a message on socials. You can email me directly, it's amanda@southernequality.org. We love to hear feedback from folks. So if you know someone who you think might not be on the list, who's kind of running under the radar, we keep our list private. We don't share it publicly. We would love to know. Or if you yourself are a provider and want to make sure you're on the list, we'd love to chat with you. So please reach out to us so that we can continue to expand our list. Otherwise, we just spent several years now working on this list, developing it, tracking things. And a lot of it does come directly from referrals from providers saying, “Hey, I want you to know that I'm doing this. I'm not advertising it. But this is exactly what I do,” or organizations letting us know that they're in partnership with some really great providers so we will take any referrals that you have. We always appreciate that and continue to build out that network. And similarly, if you're working with a really great community organization, we'd love to hear from them, too. There are a lot of folks who are doing this work who might not have websites, or might not have social media, but are doing a really beautiful job supporting their communities. And so we'd also love to be in touch with them and make sure we're supporting their work.

SHAUNA: I love that you said that the list of providers is private. I think that that's an important part of safety for everybody. And I love that it's not just out there – which sometimes it would be nice to be able to just Google – but it does feel like, in this environment, it's important to protect everybody who's needing and who's doing this kind of labor.

AMANDA: Right. We're not intentionally gatekeeping. But we do want people to know that both their information and provider information is private because we value those partnerships.

SHAUNA: Yeah. Is there anything else that we haven't covered that you feel is important for our listeners to understand about TYEP?

AMANDA: I just want to say a big thank you to you and to all the Mama Dragons. I'm just so grateful and continue to be so humbled seeing how families are showing up for their kids right now. I've spoken to families who face 3 different closures, who've moved states and continue to try and navigate care. And the love that people are showing their kids is unlike anything I've ever imagined possible. It is just heart-wrenching to see these families fight the way that they are. And so to those folks in that position, I just want to say thank you. I know that sometimes you don't get the thank you’s that you need and deserve. And so thank you for being the parents and caregivers that you are, and fighting and being a part of this and caring for your kiddo in the way that you are. You are creating a very bright future for them. Even if it doesn't feel bright at times I just want to say thank you. And then, we know that we will win. It doesn't feel that way right now. It doesn't feel like everything is going our way. And yet we also know that we are on the right side of history. We know that individuals deserve autonomy and support and dignity. And I really, truly have hope that there will come a day where we can look back and be in a much different place than we are now. And ideally, my dream would be that TYEP doesn't need to exist anymore. So here's to hoping that we can all work together to make it a world that is much more open and supportive of trans kids. So, I'm so grateful to be working with you and all the other folks who are in this. We are certainly not alone. We are partnering with so many other amazing organizations who are showing up for these communities. And so I think, when it feels dire, when it feels like everything is disappearing, please just know that there are hundreds of organizations doing work to support trans kids just in the U.S. alone. And so we're not alone. We're fighting. You've got people who have your back and will continue to do so for as long as we can.

SHAUNA: Thank you. I think that's an important reminder for us. I recently interviewed a couple of moms who left the country to keep their trans kids safe. And I think we're all, as parents, trying to figure out the best way for our families to keep our kids safe. And we're being told that we're abusive to our trans kids by supporting them. And we're getting all of these messages. And it's just really refreshing to see that we are not alone. You know, you hear the news, and you see the big picture, and it feels really scary. But there really are, as you've mentioned throughout this episode, you and so many like you are doing work behind the scenes, the quiet, hard work of making sure that our trans kids can grow up to adulthood and live their good lives. So I'm really grateful for the work that you're doing. And we as Mama Dragons appreciate people like you who are invested in our children's future. So thank you for that. 

The final two questions that we ask all of our guests are kind of fun. The name Mama Dragons came because of a fierceness we have for our queer kids, that we would breathe fire to protect and help them grow up happy lives. And so I'm curious what you are fierce about?

AMANDA: Ooh, I'm fierce about supporting trans kids. I came to this work specifically because I was doing advocacy in a state that was not supporting trans kids, and I wanted to do more and feel like I could directly contribute to this work. I am originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and I'm a little bit of a Yankee in the sense that I will throw hands at people who are not showing up for our communities. And so I'm in this work because I am fiercely protective of trans kiddos and their families. And although I'm not a mother, I feel like I should be a Mama Dragon, because I, too, will breathe fire.

SHAUNA: Honorary Mama Dragon right there. I, as a mom of a trans kid, am always so touched by people who are fierce about trans kids and they don't have a trans kid, they're not trans themselves. They just can really see the humanity in everybody. And that is a special kind of a joy that it brings me to see people who aren't personally impacted, but get it, and want to help everybody live their best lives. So thank you for that.

AMANDA: Yeah, I'm a cis, white woman and I'm one of the dreaded millennials. But I also acknowledge that people deserve dignity and support. And I'm a queer person who has done work in states that are tough places to be. So yeah, why would we continue to cause harm to people in our own community? It doesn't make sense to me. And so if you are a cis, queer person who's struggling to support trans folks, reach out to me. I would love to talk because it's really important that we're supportive of everyone in our community.

SHAUNA: Thank you. Okay, last question. The world is heavy. Things are hard. What is bringing you joy right now?

AMANDA: My job. I'm sorry to be so on theme. I love doing this work! I am obsessed with this. It is so cool to get on the phone with families who begin the phone call by just having zero hope, by being so overwhelmed by navigation, by insurance, by everything that they're facing. And by the end of the call, have a couple of options for them to continue care, a flight, the travel grant plus resources to navigate insurance. It just feels so magical right now to be able to do something that can be so directly impactful to families just so that trans kids can grow up. That's it. My dream is just for trans kids to grow up. So it is, getting to do this every day is just dreamy. So that's what's giving me hope.

SHAUNA: I love that! Thank you so much for being with us today. Is there anything else you want to add before we leave?

AMANDA: Just keep on supporting trans kiddos. Don't give up. And know that we're here.

SHAUNA: Thank you. Thanks, Amanda.

AMANDA: Thank you!

SARA: Thank you so much for joining us here In the Den. Did you know that Mama Dragons offers an eLearning program called Parachute? This is an interactive learning platform where you can learn more about how to affirm, support, and celebrate the LGBTQ+ people in your life. Learn more at Mamadragons.org/parachute or find the link in the episode show notes under links.

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