Gender-Affirming Care Means Acceptance with Erin Pollard, LMFT, LPCC

As we find ourselves here at the end of October, we are in the thick of the first semester. The holidays will be here before you know it, so this is your friendly reminder to schedule those IEP meetings with your school team if you have been procrastinating. Today’s topic is how schools and teachers can be more supportive in providing appropriate gender-affirming care for students. Join us!We are joined by Erin Pollard, LMFT, LPCC, an academic administrator at the community college level in CA. She focuses therapy work almost exclusively with trans, non-binary, questioning, and gender-expansive people. Before her five years in her current position, she worked as a teacher and counselor in private practice. Her previous work at a community mental health clinic brought experience working with a population of first-generation, low-income immigrants. Show Highlights:What it means to provide “gender-affirming care”How you can use the PBS World Gender Map to learn more about “third gender cultures” around the worldHow school board policies against gender-affirming care can damage a child’s self-esteem, competence, and relationship with their parentsHow trans identities are normal and not born out of trauma, abuse, or pedophiliaHow just ONE supportive adult can drastically reduce the suicide risk for an LGBTQ+ young personHow our simple words can make a child feel accepted The trends Erin sees in gender-affirming policies at the state levelWhat trans kids are asking for in being accepted and affirmedHow to become involved in advocacy efforts in your corner of the worldLinks/Resources:Connect with Erin Pollard: Website and EmailContact us on social media or through our website for more information on the IEP Learning Center, and send us your questions for Nadia Bennett for a future episode: www.inclusiveeducationproject.org   Thank you for listening! Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the show to receive every new episode delivered straight to your podcast player every Tuesday.If you enjoyed this episode and believe in our message, then please help us get the word out about this podcast. Rate and Review this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play. It helps other listeners find this show.Be sure to connect with us and reach out with any questions/concerns:FacebookInstagram–We are doing videos on Instagram, so connect with us there and send us your questions!TwitterIEP websiteEmail us: [email protected]