Jay Anderson and Keira Bell

Gender transition is not a smooth process. Even when the individual has a clear goal in mind there are many facets and each of those facets are multi-staged. We present a model to help visualise this; giving the chance for a deeper understanding of how and why people can get ‘stuck’ at some intermediate point. We then hope to give some meaningful, practical advice on how to support people through this journey, and to facilitate a discussion of how much ‘help’ is appropriate to get people past their current roadblock. Presentation in two parts followed by A – we could also run a separate workshop on the supporting side of things off the back of it or 1-2-1 / small group discussion session
Key takeaways: an understanding of some of the mental and practical hurdles faced by people considering or undergoing a gender transition, be that social, medical or purely internal. The sort of support someone is likely to need through this process and how that can be provided. Understanding that the support needed and how it is provided will depend on the circumstances of the individual (socio-economic / racial / familial / co-morbidities). Some context about ‘knowing what is best’ for the individual.