This workshop will take place in the Fairfax Studio in-person only.

Join Sun & Moon teacher, Chrissy Boylan, and her co-author, Heather Kirby, as they introduce their book, Trans Anthology Project, to the Sun & Moon community! The book combines educational content on gender-diversity with powerful personal accounts from almost 200 gender-diverse teens, young adults, and their parents from all across the country. The book is a labor of love, born from Chrissy’s personal journey with her oldest son, and from Heather’s professional experience as a therapist who has worked with hundreds of trans youth and their families over the last decade. Come deepen your understanding as Chrissy and Heather review the basics of gender diversity, read excerpts from the book, and answer questions. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to better support the gender-diverse individuals in your life—whether they’re family, friends, co-workers, or members of your community. 

With Chrissy Boylan and Heather Kirby

This is a free event. The book will be on hand for purchase, or click here to learn more about the Trans Anthology Project and to order a copy in advance. All proceeds will be donated to trans-affirming nonprofits. 

MORE ABOUT THE TRANS ANTHOLOGY PROJECT, a powerful new collection of education and personal stories on what it means to be gender-diverse in today’s world...  

It all started with a single story; a one-off essay Chrissy Boylan wrote as she tried to make sense of her experience parenting her seventeen-year-old trans son. Two years later, Trans Anthology Project is a complete, expertly curated, 310-page collection of stories and poems by over 30 authors from across the country, the voices of 150 more who participated via anonymous survey, and educational content from a therapist with over a decade of experience in the field.

During the project’s evolution, the mission remained the same: to offer direction, hope, and a sense of community to anyone feeling isolated, alone, or scared as they venture onto a gender-diverse path, whether directly or in support of someone they love.  

How did you get the idea for Trans Anthology Project? 

After reading Chrissy’s essay, Heather Kirby immediately saw the potential of harnessing a collection of stories, the type of stories she heard daily from gender-diverse youth and their parents in her capacity as a therapist, to build understanding and acceptance. Chrissy loved the idea and additionally suggested they include educational content based on Heather’s decade of experience in the field. The result is the exact book Chrissy wishes she had had when her son came out five years ago.

 How did you go about collecting all the stories and personal insights in the book?

We felt strongly that the book needed to reinforce the myriad ways gender can be explored, identified, disclosed, and expressed. Thankfully the internet allowed us to cast a wide net. Using social media, email networks, and subsequent word of mouth, we invited gender-diverse youth and their parents to participate in free online writing circles and additionally put out a call for submissions.

At the same time, we knew that not everyone was interested in writing a full personal account so additionally hosted anonymous surveys online (one for youth and one for parents) to maximize the number and diversity of personal insights and anecdotes captured by the project. The final piece of the puzzle was to fund the project through small donations to show readers that there is more support for the community than they might think.

Between our Instagram followers, our donors, contributors, and readers, this community is that much larger than when we first set out to write Trans Anthology Project.

Who is the book for?

We wrote the book first and foremost for gender-diverse youth and their parents, but the book is a great resource for anyone committed to educating themselves. 

The reality is that most adults today likely came of age before the millennium not knowing a single person who identified as trans, non-binary, or gender queer and may have only just become familiar with those terms in the last decade. Meanwhile, the younger generation has grown up with a deep appreciation for these concepts and navigate gender-diversity with impressive dexterity. 

The result is a generational knowledge gap that too often leads to misunderstanding, frustration, and fear. We created Trans Anthology Project to bridge this gap by providing a more personal perspective from which to learn about, appreciate, and ultimately support gender-diversity in our families and communities. 

What has been the response so far? 

The response has been overwhelmingly positive! Within the first week of its release, we heard from a school counselor outside Detroit who had a kiddo come out to her after spying Trans Anthology Project on her bookshelf. Since then we’ve also had multiple parents reference specific stories that helped them better understand their child’s experiences, gender-diverse teens who couldn’t put the book down, and allies passing the book on within their communities.

Is there anything next for Trans Anthology Project? 

We hope so! Right now we’re doing the work of getting the book in the hands of those it could help most. In the future, we’re hoping to adapt it to an audiobook, as well as create a more resource- and story-driven website where gender-diverse youth, their parents, and others can find education, personal perspectives, and resources. And who knows? Maybe there will be a Volume Two someday. In the meantime, we are focused on getting the book out into the world!

AUTHOR BIOS

Heather Kirby is a therapist in the Washington DC area who has worked with hundreds of gender-diverse youth and their families over the past decade. She also offers professional training and consultation to mental health providers interested in better supporting their gender-diverse clients.

Chrissy Boylan is a parent to a transgender young adult, writer, and yoga teacher from the Washington DC area. Her previous work has appeared in several online and offline publications, including the Washington Post. 

But the Book: https://a.co/d/ihVS8jY 

Follow TAP on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/trans_anthology_project/

TAP Website: https://www.transanthologyproject.com/