March 31 is the International Transgender Day of Visibility. This day was created to celebrate transgender people and raise awareness of the discrimination they face still today. One of the best ways to better understand someone’s experience (and often our own) is through reading. Here’s a list of books that feature transgender characters or explore gender identity. Below are a handful of my personal favorites.
“Being You” works wonderfully as a first-introduction-to-gender book for young ones.
“When Aidan Became a Brother” shows Aidan’s experiences as he becomes an older brother to a new sibling.
“It Feels Good to Be Yourself” is a great nonfiction book that helps kids explore gender identity.
“Lily and Dunkin” features two middle-schoolers on journeys to become themselves and find acceptance within and from family.
“Girl Haven” is a graphic novel that follows a group of middle schoolers that fall into a fantastical universe that is meant only for girls.
One more recommendation that is instead geared towards teens is “Growing Up Trans.” This anthology features art, poetry and stories created by transgender and non-binary youth. In addition to the experiences shared, there are resources provided by professionals at the end of each chapter for adults and youth to explore further.
Listed below are resources that share information about supporting transgender and non-binary youth. Each of these websites has great tools and information; Here are some that I found especially helpful.
- Information about International Transgender Day of Visibility and its history from GLAAD and PBS.
- Stand With Trans and their glossary of terms.
- The Trevor Project and their Guide to Being an Ally.
- The Human Rights Campaign’s basics for supporting transgender youth.
- Trans Youth Equality Foundation with tools for children, guardians and educators.
- The Kids Guide to Gender to go with the non-fiction book “Who Are You?”
