General Support | FAQs
Q | What can support look like for me as a trans person?
Support can come from trusting, loving, and accepting relationships, which may or may not include your relationship with your biological family. Support may mean that you rely on your chosen family, the people in your network outside of your biological family that you trust and who can be there for you in hard times. Think about your support network in broad terms. For example, you can find different kinds of support in your spouse, a close friend, a neighbor, a healthcare provider, or a peer in a support group, depending on what you need.
Example. A nonbinary person asks their sister to help them during their recovery after gender-affirming surgery.
Example. A group of trans and gender-expansive older adults share stories and give each other encouragement during weekly meals through a peer support group.
Example. After starting her transition, a trans woman and her wife affirm their support for one another during marriage counseling sessions.
Example. A trans man organizes a gathering of Black trans community members and allies for a day of fellowship supported by an LGBTQ-friendly faith community.
Note. Examples come from stories shared during a research project about healthcare for trans folks. See the About page for details about this project.
Q | Where can I find support groups for trans and gender-expansive folks?
Looking for support groups local to your area may be the best place to start. Try contacting LGBTQIA+ organizations in your city or region, ask peers in your community for recommendations, or enter terms like “transgender support groups in [your city/town/region/state]” into a search engine like Google. The ally advocacy group PFLAG→ also sponsors support groups in many areas. You may be interested in specific kinds of support like groups for trans people in recovery from addiction (see Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Transgender in Sobriety*), groups for trans Veterans (see Transgender American Veterans Association→) or groups for LGBTQ+ friendly eating disorder recovery (see Alliance for Eating Disorders→).
You may also find support through online forums and groups on social media. Be cautious about getting support through these channels, though, because they may also be a source of misinformation and cyberbullying.
*Although it is not a religious group, AA may use religious language, and it encourages active sharing, which may or may not be the right fit for your recovery. SMART Recovery→ is an alternative.
Q | Where can I get support for a new medical diagnosis?
A member of your healthcare team (doctor, nurse, social worker, counselor) may be able to recommend support groups after you get a new diagnosis of a physical illness like cancer or a mental health disorder. You can also search online for groups listed by disease-specific organizations such as the American Cancer Society→, the Center for Chronic Illness→, the National Alliance on Mental Illness→, or the Alzheimer’s Association→. For caregivers, CaringBridge→ is an online platform to find support.
Q | What is intergenerational support and why is it important?
Intergenerational support is the sharing of resources and companionship between younger and older generations. This kind of support can refer to family relationships like the bond between grandparent and grandchild or other social relationships like teenage and elder neighbors sharing companionship and life experience.
Example. An older trans man takes in and mentors a younger trans man who is struggling to find his way while the younger man provides companionship and a sense of humor.
Both younger and older trans people would benefit from intergenerational support. Intergenerational programs help boost the health of body and mind and foster a sense of community among younger and older people. Intergenerational support can help generations of trans people stand in solidarity to advocate for their care and their rights.
For more about intergenerational support, see this fact sheet from the organization Generations United→.