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Now in paperback: A world-leading expert and clinical psychologist team up to “accurately capture the pulse of the conversation about gender in the United States, expand awareness and knowledge about gender, and educate readers about common myths and misinformation”—Library Journal, starred review
Gender is everywhere. Politicians argue over it, educational systems struggle to define it, and our friends, neighbors, and children explore it. More than ever before, young people are questioning their gender identities and redefining the role of gender in their lives. How should our society—and we as individuals (parents, teachers, friends)—respond?
In Gender Explained, Diane Ehrensaft, PhD, and Michelle Jurkiewicz, PsyD, separate medical fact from fear-mongering falsehoods and answer these questions: What should parents do when their child starts experiencing gender dysphoria? Which sports teams should transgender youth play on? How should schools teach young people about gender? And most important: What is gender-affirming care, and when should an individual have access to it?
With clear, expert guidance, this book is a safeguard against political vitriol, and it offers urgent protection for those among us who are transgender and/or nonbinary. Far more than an introduction to gender creativity, it is an invitation to develop compassion for everyone along the gender continuum.
“Gender Explained serves as a guide for parents of children across many ages and stages. It can provide the insight and language parents desperately need to talk to their children and other family members about their child’s gender journey.”—Ellen Kahn, Human Rights Campaign Foundation
“This essential purchase accurately captures the pulse of the conversation about gender in the United States, expands awareness and knowledge about gender, and educates readers about common myths and misinformation.”—Library Journal, starred review
“Psychologists Diane Ehrensaft (The Gender Creative Child) and Michelle Jurkiewicz team up for this excellent introduction to the concepts of gender creativity and gender-affirming care. Gender Explained dispels myths about younger generations' ease with gender creativity and about approaches taken by physical and mental health professionals in the field, providing a clear picture of the truth, along with anecdotes, exercises, and pointers to help readers understand and act on this information.”—Shelf Awareness, starred review
“Provides evidence-based research to back up their assertion that gender is a fluid spectrum rather than a rigid binary. They also aim to inspire readers to listen to children about their preferred gender identity and expression to mitigate youth depression, anxiety, and suicide. . . . primarily recommended for any adult who is tasked with caring for children, but would also be an excellent resource for teens who seek more information and language to describe their own gender journey.”—School Library Journal
“The authors thoughtfully examine how and why gender has become a pressing concern for today’s youth. . . . A thorough, evenhanded illumination of a contentious topic imbued with compassion and cleareyed data.”—Kirkus Reviews
“This is the book I wish I’d had when my own child told me, at age three, that she wasn't the gender I believed her to be. If you’re scared and confused because your child is saying things about gender that you never expected to hear, this is the book for you. Gender Explained sets aside the politics, lays out the science, and offers practical, compassionate advice for supporting our children—and ourselves—on the gender adventure that awaits us.”—Marlo Mack, author of How to Be a Girl
“Gender Explained is the perfect antidote to the current state of widespread confusion about gender. Ehrensaft and Jurkiewicz’s careful, thoughtful, and well-researched approach to the topic of gender cuts through a sea of misinformation. In this widely accessible book, the authors help us make sense of the complexity of gender. They also lay the groundwork for a clear path forward to understanding and celebrating gender in all its infinite forms.”—Sabra L. Katz-Wise, PhD, associate professor at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
“In Gender Explained, Ehrensaft and Jurkiewicz have taken a hot button issue and eloquently turned down the heat. Their extensive experience working with youth, families, and professionals throughout the world provides them with the necessary background to examine this divisive topic with nuance and rationality. In doing so, they have generated a work upon which critically important conversations can be based at a time when the discourse has become decidedly hostile. A must-read for anyone interested in exploring the complex subject of gender.”—Joel Baum, director of education at the Child and Adolescent Gender Center, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital
“The continent’s greatest clinical psychologist, Diane Ehrensaft, PhD, working in pediatric gender issues in an academic research setting, has added to her two previous groundbreaking books, now with colleague Michelle Jurkiewicz, PsyD. Gender Explained reveals how our thinking about gender has changed through the lens and voices of patients, parents, and those who care for gender creative children. In addition to their clinical expertise, Dr. Ehrensaft also draws on her participation in two NIH-funded longitudinal studies of transgender children and adolescents, in collaboration with three other major pediatric academic hospitals.”—Norman Spack, MD, endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital
“With courage and wisdom, this book does an amazing job at explaining gender diversity. It brings together empirical research, clinical experience, as well as testimonies of children and their parents to answer complicated questions about child and identity development, best parenting approaches and how to understand today’s shifting cultural landscape on gender and young people. A highly recommended read for families, clinicians, and anyone eager to better understand our complex world.”—Jean Malpas, psychotherapist and founder of the Gender & Family Project at the Ackerman Institute for the Family
“Empathetic and accessible, Gender Explained helped me see ‘the other side’ of the gender debate. It acknowledges the fear and concern that many people face and helps us expand our view of gender. I loved reading it.”—Ximena Lopez, MD, pediatric endocrinologist
“At a time when there is a lot of divisive information and messages on this topic, Gender Explained unites us in supporting the health and well-being of all children. Dr. Ehrensaft and Dr. Jurkiewicz provide clear and compassionate information from decades of firsthand experience. This is the perfect book for parents, caregivers, and professionals who are supporting gender expansive children and youth.”—Linda A. Hawkins, PhD, director of the Gender & Sexuality Development Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
“A compelling new book rooted in the gender affirmative model, Gender Explained provides a nuanced perspective and effectively clarifies some deep misrepresentations of this model. It provides a wealth of information on the care of gender diverse young people.”—Amy Tishelman, PhD, Boston College, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience
“Providing clear, expert guidance, Gender Explained aims to separate medical fact from fear-mongering falsehoods, introducing readers to gender creativity while providing accessible introductions to topics like gender-affirming care and gender dysphoria in children.”—Autostraddle
