Resources for Transgender, Gender Queer and Questioning Youth in RI and Beyond
Overview
This list contains both local and national resources. The individuals, groups and organizations listed here are not affiliated with Youth Pride unless stated otherwise. Youth Pride is not responsible for the opinions, views or positions of these independent resources. If you have any questions or concerns about a resource on this list, please let us know. We especially want to hear about your experiences- both positive and negative with any of the resources listed here. We also welcome recommendations of other websites/resources to add to our list. Email Jaye@youthprideri.org
Click to jump to topic: Local Support Groups, General Information, Student/Youth Resources, FTM Resources, MTF Resources, Gender Queer Resources, Resources for Parents, Resources for Educators, Social Workers and Other Professionals, Advocacy/Activism/Policy, Recommended Books/Movies/Informational Videos, Medical Providers, Mental Health Providers, Legal Info, Miscellaneous.
Local Support Groups
Trans/Gender Queer/Questioning Youth support group at Youth Pride Inc. www.youthprideri.org
Tuesdays @6pm (for youth ages 13-23). Call 401-421-5626 or email email Jaye (jaye@youthprideri.org) for more information.
Borderlands TGI Peer Support Group at Lifelines RI www.lifelinesri.org
1st and 3rd Tuesdays 6:45-9:00pm.
Compass (FTM) http://www.geocities.com/ftmcompass
Meets on the first Thursday of the month in the Boston Metro area.
You are not alone group (MTF) at Tiffany Club of New England, Waltham, MA www.tcne.org
3rd Thursday of the month.
New Horizons at AIDS Project Worcester www.aidsprojectworcester.org
Open to anyone who is transgender identified, gender variant or questioning. Sundays at 6pm at AIDS Project Worcester. 85 Green St. Worcester, MA. For more information, contact Jesse Pack at AIDS Project Worcester at (508)755-3773 or jessep@aidsprojectworcester.org.
FTM SOFFA Group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BostonFTMSOFFAgroup/
For Significant Others, Family, Friends and Allies of FTM’s. Meets in the Boston area monthly and it has an online list-serve component as well. To join the on-line group or get information about meetings contact: BostonFTMSOFFAgroup-owner@yahoogroups.com
General Information
I think I might be Transgender. Now what do I do? 
(click title to view PDF)
Written by transgender youth, this pamphlet provides answers for young people who feel that the gender to which they were born, or assigned at birth, does not fit them. (2004)
TransYouth.Com www.transyouth.com
This website was created to link trans youth and the people in their lives with current resources.
T-Vox www.t-vox.org
A comprehensive advice, information and support website on the internet for genderqueer, intersex, transgender and transsexual people, their friends and their family.
Gender Crash www.gendercrash.com
The last Gender Crash open mic night was January 8, 2009, but the website is still up and contains a lot of good information and resources.
Gender Talk www.gendertalk.com
The home of the leading talk radio program on all issues of gender -- and much more
Trans-Active Education and Advocacy www.transactiveonline.org
This website has resources for youth, parents, educators and health care providers.
Safe2Pee www.safe2pee.org
This is a resource list of gender neutral and single stall bathrooms all over the US and some international locations. Anyone can add a safe bathroom to this list.
Student/Youth Resources
Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools
A collaborative project of California's Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Transgender Law Center, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
Where’s the T in GSA?- Making your Student Club Trans-inclusive 
(click title to view publication)
This GLSEN resource guide will help students develop a greater understanding of transgender people and related issues, as well as actions that can ensure that transgender and gender non-conforming people are fully included in all that GSAs do in schools.
Bending the Mold: An Action Kit for Transgender Students (click title to view publication)
By Lambda Legal and the National Youth Advocacy Coalition.
Safe Schools Coalition Transgender Youth Resource Page
TransProud
OutProud's World Wide Web site for transgender youth.
FTM resources
Compass www.geocities.com/ftmcompass/
Information on a lot of New England based FTM resouces.
Transster www.transster.com
This website is a photo repository of female to male (FTM) gender reassignment surgeries.
Hudson’s Resource Guide www.ftmguide.org
This is an extensive resource guide that covers a wide range of topics concerning FTM’s.
The Transitional Male www.thetransitionalmale.com
The T-Male is a personally owned, comprehensive, educational website for Transmen, Friends, Family and Significant others.
MTF Resources
Tiffany Club New England www.tcne.org
Transsexual Road Map www.tsroadmap.com
Lynn Conway’s Website
A great website with a lot of information and a comprehensive resource list.
Gender Queer Resources
The Gender Queer Revolution www.genderqueerrevolution.org
Celebrating gender-giftedness in everyone!
I don’t fit into either gender at T-Vox
Resources for Parents
TYFA- Transgender Youth Family Allies www.imatyfa.org
PFLAG TNET: Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays Transgender Network
Focuses on support for transgender people and their parents, families, and friends; education on transgender facts and issues; and advocacy for equal rights for the transgender community at local and national levels.
Tips on Raising your Pre-Teens and Teens: Supporting Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer* or Questioning Child
RI Dept. of Health’s Office for Family, Youth & School Success (OFYSS) Spanish version.
Why don’t You Tell Them I’m a Boy? Safe Schools Coalition (click title to view PDF)
Our Trans Children- PFLAG (click title to view PDF)
Resources for Educators, Social Workers and Other Professionals
Safe Schools Coalition www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Resources and Articles by Arlene Istar Lev, L.C.S.W., (http://www.choicesconsulting.com/areas/transgender/) author of Transgender Emergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working With Gender-Variant People and Their Families. This website contains an extensive resource list.
Tips and Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Transgender Youth (http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/frtp/transgender_needs.htm)-Advocates for Youth
Trans-Academics (http://www.trans-academics.org/) a place where people of all genders can discuss gender theory, the trans community and its various identities, both as a part of the academic world and day-to-day life.
Advocacy/Activism/Policy
Massachusetts Transgender Politics Coalition www.masstpc.org
The Transgender Law and Policy Institute www.transgenderlaw.org
The National Center for Transgender Quality www.nctequality.org
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force www.thetaskforce.org/issues/transgender/
Gender PAC (Gender Public Advocacy Coalition) www.gpac.org
GID Reform www.gidreform.org
Advocating reform of the psychiatric classification of gender diversity as mental disorder.
International Transgender Day of Remembrance www.transgenderdor.org
Transgender Day of Rememberance Webcomics Project 2008
Recommended Books/Movies/Informational Videos
There are so many great books and emerging films/documentaries about gender identity that we cannot list them all here. For that reason, this list has been limited to a few of our favorites.
Books
Bornstein, Kate. Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. ISBN 0-679-75701-5
Bornstein, Kate. My Gender Workbook. New York: Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0-415-91673-9
Boylan, Jennifer Finney. She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders. New York : Broadway Books, 2003. ISBN: 076791404X
Brill, Stephanie & Pepper, Rachel. The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals. San Francisco: Cleiss Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781573443180
Brown, Mildred & Rounsley, Chloe Ann. True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism-For Families, Friends, Coworkers, and Helping Professionals. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003. ISBN: 9780787967024
Feinberg, Leslie. Transgender Warriors. Beacon Press, Boston, 1996. ISBN 0-8070-7940-5
Feinberg, Leslie. Stone Butch Blues. Firebrand Books, 1993.
Mom, I need to be a girl (click to download PDF). Just Evelyn.
O’Keefe, Tracie & Fox, Katrina, ed. Finding the Real Me: True Tales of Sex and Gender Diversity. New York, Jossey-Bass, 2003. ISBN: 0787965472
Movies and Informational Videos
"Just Call Me Kade," (2001).
"Ma vie en rose (My Life in Pink)," (1998). Alain Berliner, Columbia TriStar Home.
"Normal," (2003). Jane Anderson. HBO Films.
"Gender Rebel," (2006). Directed by Elaine Epstein. Find it here at Logo.
Medical Providers
CCAP (Comprehensive Community Action Program) www.comcap.org
Fenway Health (Boston, MA) www.fenwayhealth.org
The mission of Fenway Health is to enhance the
physical and mental health of its community, which includes those who
are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, the people who live and work
in our neighborhood, and beyond.
Sydney Borum Health Center (Boston, MA) www.jri.org/theborum/
The Sidney Borum Jr. Health Center is dedicated to providing the best
quality health care for youth and young adults ages 12 to 29 who may
not feel comfortable going anywhere else.
To recommend a provider to be added to this list please contact Jaye at jaye@youthprideri.org or 401-421-5626.
Mental Health Providers
To recommend a provider to be added to this list please contact Jaye at jaye@youthprideri.org or 401-421-5626.
Legal Info
Please be aware that this information is just a guide, not legal advice and that laws and policies can change frequently.
How to legally change your name in RI
Each town in RI has a slightly different procedure for name changes. Many towns also require posting a legal notice in the paper at an additional charge. Call your local probate court office and ask for clear instructions for their legal name change process including all fees involved. Some smaller towns only do name change hearings one day per month, and several towns require 2-3 weeks of public notice of the change before the hearing can take place. Be prepared for the process to take several weeks to
complete.
IMPORTANT!! You do not have to disclose your gender identity or say that you are changing
your sex to change your name. The form asks for a specific reason for the change but “common usage” or “preferred name” is acceptable. If you are denied a name change you should contact GLAD (Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders) for help.
When you go to court, you will need a certified copy of your original birth certificate and a completed Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) check. All towns require a BCI check and your court date may be delayed while waiting for this to be processed through your local probate court. You can avoid this extra wait by getting your own BCI check for $5 (check or money order-- no cash) at the Attorney General’s Office on South Main Street in Providence.
Find the contact information for your local RI Probate Court here: http://www.sec.state.ri.us/library/probateforms/probatecourts
Find the required form here: http://www.sec.state.ri.us/library/probateforms/PC8.1.pdf/
How to legally change your sex in RI
Follow this link to the National Center for Transgender Equality for a great step by step guide for changing your name and/or sex with the Social Security Administration.
If you are thinking about surgery be sure to ask your surgeon about their letter writing policy. Some surgeons are willing to perform the procedures but are not willing to provide their patients with an adequate letter for changing their documentation. For information about this see The Massachussetts Transgender Political Coalition's (MTPC) Open Letter to Baystate Hospital.
How to change your name on your RI driver’s liscense/ID Card
Taken from the RI DMV website:
To change your name on your RI license, you are required to change your name with Social Security first. Please allow at least 24 hours for Social Security to make the change to their records before changing your name with the DMV. If the name change is not in the Social Security system, the DMV cannot process your name change on your license. You must then appear in person at any DMV branch office during regular business hours, and bring the following documents:
- Your current RI license
- One document showing your correct name, such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree.
OR
- The DMV will accept a notarized affidavit stating the change of name. This affidavit is available in any DMV branch and must be signed by you and notarized.
- Along with this affidavit, you must provide the DMV with two documents evidencing the new name, such as a Social Security card, a valid voter registration card, or current U.S. passport.
The fee to change any information on a license is $6.50.
How to change your sex on your RI driver’s license/ID card
There is no specific form for changing your sex on your driver’s license in RI. You must wait at least 24 hours after changing your sex with Social Security so that it will be updated in the system. Be sure to have an original copy of your surgeon’s letter and be prepared to turn in your old license.
How to change your name on your RI birth certificate.
The applicant must submit to The Registrar of Vital Records a certified copy of the probate court order changing the name, including applicant’s name at birth, date and place of birth, and new name. The applicant will receive an affidavit in the mail that must be signed in a notary’s presence.
How to change your sex on your RI birth certificate
The Division of Vital Records requires that an applicant submit a notarized copy of a letter from the hospital or clinic peforming the surgery/treatment. The letter must be on hospital letterhead and signed by the physician who performed the surgery or the physician in charge of the hospital.
The certificate will be marked “amended” when changed; the date of modification and a summary of evidence supporting the change will accompany the certificate.
The state Registrar of Vital Records must report the change to the custodian of permanent local records in order for those records to be amended accordingly.
A sex designation change does not require a court order.
For more information on changing your documentation in RI and other New
England states as well as an overview of the legal issues facing the
Transgender community, check out this great publication by GLAD called, Transgender Legal Issues- New England.
Laws which provide protection based on gender identity and/or expression in RI
In 2001, the RI General Assembly passed HB5920.
This bill added “gender identity or expression” as a protected group to laws prohibiting discrimination. It is against the law in RI to discriminate against someone based on their gender identity or expression.
At this time, RI does NOT include “gender identity or expression” in state hate crime laws. Hate crime laws add additional penalties for individuals who engage in crimes against a person or organization based on hatred for or bias against that particular group. They also mandate that crimes against protected groups are tracked by the state police. A bill to add “gender identity or expression” to the existing hate crime laws in RI was passed by the RI General Assembly in 2008, but vetoed by the governor. A similar bill has been introduced to the RI General Assembly in 2009- HB5432. For more information about this bill, or to find out what you can do to get involved, please contact Jaye.
Laws which provide federal protection based on gender identity and/or expression
At this time gender identity and/or expression is not included as a protected group in national discrimination or hate crime laws. For information about the status of federal protections for transgender people check out the Advocacy Section of this page.
Miscellaneous
5 Wishes TM www.agingwithdignity.org/5wishes
This is a user friendly living will document legally recognized in 40 states. It is only legal if you are 18 and over. You may want to consider using 5 Wishes TM to communicate a desire for your gender identity, preferred name and pronouns to be recognized and respected in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself, especially if your family does not accept your identity.
LiveJournal www.livejournal.com
This is a community journal/blogging website that has several informative communities specifically for FTM, MTF, Gender Queer identified people, including some specifically for youth, and college students. Go to the website, create a journal and then search for communities by keyword.
Please contact Jaye with suggestions on how to improve/expand this resource list or to report a broken or misdirected link.