In this show we're looking at how to support young people who are struggling with their gender identity. We define the terms and share our own stories of gender confusion before discussing some of the reasons why increasing numbers of young people might be identifying as transgender.

In the second half we get practical with advice about how to support young people experiencing distress about their gender, including how to respond with compassion, how to talk about identity and how to offer hope in suffering.

This episode also features an interview with community paediatrician Dr. Julie Maxwell.

Discussion questions

• Do we have a good understanding of sex, gender and transgender? If not, what’s our next step in learning?
• Do we have a good understanding of what the Bible says about sex, gender and identity? If not, what’s our next step in learning?
• Are we a welcoming, safe environment for teens who are trans-identifying, who have questions about gender generally or their own specifically? How can we become more so?
• What practical conversations (e.g. around names, pronouns, bathrooms, sleeping spaces) do we need to have?

Resources mentioned and related

• Youth Leaders' Crash Course podcast page
• To know how some LGBT people are using the language – see Stonewall’s ‘List of LGBTQ+ Terms’
• Parents guide to LGBTQ teens and our review of the resource
• Living Out Church leaders' webinar on trans-identification amongst teens
• Embodied Preston Sprinkle and our review
• Finding Your Best Identity Andrew Bunt and our review
• People Not Pronouns Andrew Bunt and our review
• What God Has To Say About Our Bodies Sam Allberry and our review
• CMF Quick Guide - Gender identity & trans identification - for youth workers
• Transgender: An Introduction for Parents and Youth Leaders Andrew Bunt
• Theology in the Raw podcast #768 – Where Should Trans Students Sleep at Summer Camp? And Other Questions
• Theology in the Raw podcast #870 – Another Take on the Pronoun Debate: Dr. Julie Maxwell
• More resources here...