Transgender Awareness Week

It's Transgender Awareness Week, and in honor of this celebration, we have collected a list of resources to uplift and celebrate the strengths, stories, and contributions of our transgender community.

A Special Introduction from Our Say It Brave Community Member, Ashton Grooms

When I began my transition, I remember searching endlessly for information. I searched to understand what I was going through and align what I felt on the inside with what was on the outside. I thought that once I could make these connections for myself, the world around me would feel whole, my family and peers would love me even more, and I'd find the man of my dreams and live happily ever after. 

Growing up intensely sheltered, I genuinely thought I was the only person who ever felt the way I did. I knew without a doubt that I, a 6'2" male-assigned young adult, was truly a girl. Then a chance occurrence happened while I was watching television. As soon as I turned on the TV, an advertisement for a movie titled "A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story" began to play. It's almost as if that connection I was searching for was right there, placed in my lap.

The Agnieszka Holland-directed film told the true story of a young trans woman, just beginning her transition and being murdered by a group of boys who beat her to death after discovering she was trans. The movie affected me in every way. In my naivety, I didn't understand why her truth, our truth, would cause someone to want to take her life. Sadly I came to learn that the murdering of trans women would be a recurring tragedy. There have been over 35 reported murders this year alone. 

The end of Transgender Awareness Week is marked by Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th. I was saddened when I first learned a day was formed to memorialize the lives of this community of people, my people. It highlighted that these individuals were being exterminated in vast numbers, and that also scared me. I realized it's not a day only to acknowledge the robbery of life, but a day to celebrate the lives lived. These lives were the direct definition of sacrifice, bravery, and complete freedom. They were taken senselessly and entirely too soon. They had hopes, promises, plans, and dreams. Their lives symbolize an unbreakable strength for those who continue the fight for happily ever after.

Don't forget to smile,
Ashton Grooms (She/Her/Hers)

Blogs and Podcasts from our Say It Brave Collective Members

Everyone belongs at the table of recovery. We learn beautiful truths from everyone's experience and shared humanity. Here are some powerful stories and influencers to follow.

• Being Non-binary In Recovery
• How To Be An Ally To The Transgender Community
• Mental Note Podcast: The Journey of Transgender Recovery

For Our Professionals

We recognize the marginalization of transgender individuals when it comes to access to comprehensive eating disorders and mental health services. If you are a professional and would like to earn CE credits, you can follow the links below to gain insightful knowledge in treating transgender individuals. For a complete list of CE presentations, register here. The account code is Acadamy2021. 

• Gender Dysphoria and Eating Disorders: Understanding and Improving
• Care for Transgender Individuals with Eating Disorders
• On the Deeper Side of Eating Disorders: From the Patient to the Professional

Complimentary LGBTQIA resources and support groups

Eating Recovery Center LGBTQIA Support Group:

https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/event/lgbtq-midday-eating-disorder-body-image-support-group

ANAD LGBTQIA Support Group:

https://anad.org/get-help/about-our-support-groups/

The National Alliance for EDA LGBTQIA Support Group:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsdOuoqT4rG9IhR2k22-ZE_iV_P-EOoZli

Eating Disorder Foundation Trans & Non-binary Support Group:

https://eatingdisorderfoundation.org/event/virtual-trans-nonbinary-support-group/