Mental health articles

Gender Minorities Historically, sex-atypical individuals were derided as tomboys and sissies and usually tried hard to conform to culturally mandated notions of female/ male, femininity/masculinity. Th ose who believed they were assigned the wrong sex seldom openly articulated those assertions and simply sought refuge within lesbian, gay, and bisexual communities. As society moves toward greater acceptance of sexual minorities, though, there is growing tolerance for gender minorities and diverse gender expressions. Young people now have role models (RuPaul, k.d. lang) and vocabulary to create meaning from their experiences and to inspire self-acceptance and emboldened self-expression.

Whereas many therapists are comfortable treating sexual minorities, knowledge
about gender minorities lags, spawning inappropriate assessment and
treatment. A therapist’s willingness to nonjudgmentally inquire about gender
experiences from the outset of treatment greatly helps these students.