“Seamlessly blends practical advice, emotional support, and research to help transgender and gender-nonconforming children flourish.”
Publishers Weekly

Media Kit: Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting This

In one of the most politically charged moments in parenting history, gender specialist Rebecca Minor, LICSW, offers clear, compassionate guidance for raising transgender kids—with courage, clarity, and care.

About The Book

Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting This

Publisher: Row House Publishing

Release Date: September 9, 2025

Format: Paperback & Audiobook

ISBN: 978-1955905985

Summary: This guidebook is the first of its kind to speak directly to the fears, limiting beliefs, and cultural pressures parents face when their child comes out as transgender. Grounded in trauma-informed clinical experience and intersectional care, it’s a modern, digestible, and emotionally intelligent companion for families at any stage of their journey.

Why I Wrote This Book

“I wrote this book to be the guide I wish had existed when families first learn their child is trans. In moments that can feel overwhelming or disorienting, I wanted parents to know they’re not alone, and that there’s no shame in needing support. Having worked with hundreds of trans youth and their families, I’ve seen the transformation that happens when caregivers are given tools, compassion, and a roadmap. This book is an invitation to grow alongside your child, with clarity, connection, and care.”

Rebecca Minor, Author

What Makes This Book Different

✔️ Organized around the real questions that keep parents up at night

✔️ Blends science-backed research, practical tools, affirmations, and lived experience

✔️ Offers reflection prompts, case studies, and digestible insights

✔️ Includes an evolving glossary to stay current with gender language and culture

About Rebecca Minor, LICSW

Rebecca Minor, MSW, LICSW (she/they), is an internationally recognized gender specialist, therapist, educator, and author of the forthcoming Raising Trans Kids: What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting This (Row House, Sept 2025). With over 10,000 hours of experience working with trans and gender-expansive youth and their families, she’s helped parents move beyond fear and uncertainty to become confident, affirming advocates for their children.

She is the founder of Prism Therapy Collective and serves as adjunct faculty at Boston University’s School of Social Work. Rebecca has been featured in The New York Times, Parents, The Bump, Health Magazine, Them, and The Trevor Project docuseries.

Her highly anticipated book is more than a parenting guide—it’s an invitation to transformation. Through science-backed insights, real-world stories, and deeply compassionate guidance, Raising Trans Kids helps caregivers unlearn societal constraints and step into the role of unwavering support their child needs. At its core, this book is about more than gender—it’s about love, liberation, and learning to see beyond the limits of what we once believed to be true.

“With insight and compassion, social worker and gender specialist Minor guides parents and caregivers through how to best support transgender and gender-nonconforming children. Drawing from her professional practice and stories from parents, Minor deftly illustrates the importance of taking children seriously when they come out as trans or nonbinary, as well as the dangers of withholding support, such as depression and suicidal thoughts. Minor demystifies potentially unfamiliar terminology like neopronoun and third gender, equips readers with information on gender-affirming care, and validates safety concerns that parents might have as trans people experience social and political discrimination. She also debunks advice instructing parents to view their child’s shifting gender identity as a passing phase, arguing that people have the right to define their own identities regardless of age. In one poignant example, Minor shares the story of a cisgender gay couple who worried that their adopted child would be ostracized after coming out as nonbinary in middle school. Deconstructing their own rigid understanding of the gender binary allowed the couple to support and accept their child, ultimately leading to a stronger relationship. Seamlessly blending practical advice, emotional support, and research, this provides parents with the necessary tools to help transgender and gender-nonconforming children flourish.”

Interview Topics

  • What inspired Raising Trans Kids, and who is it for?

  • What’s the first thing a parent should do when their child comes out as trans?

  • What’s the biggest misconception you see about trans youth, and how can parents respond?

  • How does this book help parents who feel unsure or scared?

  • What’s the difference between affirmation and “pushing” a child?

  • Why is gender-affirming care best practice, not controversial?

  • What should parents understand about the current political backlash against trans kids?

  • How can families navigate misinformation about medical transition?

  • What role do schools and communities play in keeping trans youth safe?

  • How can parents be powerful advocates even if they’re still learning?

Rebecca Can Speak To

Rebecca is a trusted voice for journalists, producers, and podcast hosts seeking depth, clarity, and empathy around gender, parenting, and culture. She brings lived experience and clinical expertise to conversations on:

  • Supporting kids in real time during their gender journey

  • Breaking down gender-affirming care (what it is and what it’s not)

  • Helping parents navigate family conflict or faith-based resistance

  • Parenting as a queer, neurodivergent, trauma-informed clinician

  • Countering misinformation in today’s political climate

Core Messaging

  • Parents don’t need to have all the answers—they just need to show up.

  • Affirmation isn’t about pushing—it’s about listening.

  • Gender-affirming care is medically necessary and saves lives.

  • Trans youth aren’t new—the conversation around them is.

  • One affirming adult can reduce suicide risk by 40%.

Themes in the Book

  • Parenting beyond the binary

  • Navigating the political climate and anti-trans legislation

  • Advocating for your child in schools, healthcare, and community

  • Deconstructing gender norms and generational patterns

  • Understanding gender-affirming care

  • Processing grief, fear, and transformation as a parent

Endorsements

  • “It’s scary not knowing the answer—especially as a parent. But love doesn’t need to make sense to be powerful. Rebecca Minor’s wise book takes away the mystery, the shame, and especially the misinformation, so we can parent our trans kids with clarity and courage. She answers the awkward questions, dispels the nonsense, and gives us the foundation to move past fear—confidently, logically, and lovingly. It’s about damn time.”

    –Jodie Patterson, Parent, Advocate, Author, and Chair of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Board

  • “Every day, trans kids are being legislated against, erased from schools and sports, and made to feel like they don’t belong. And too many adults are quiet about it. Raising Trans Kids is the book that breaks the silence. It meets people where they are but refuses to let them stay there. It’s a guide, a call to action, and a reminder that love means nothing without protection.”

    –Megan Rapinoe, World Cup Champion and Activist

  • “As a father of a Black transgender child and an advocate for trans youth and their families, I know firsthand how vital it is for parents to have access to compassionate, informed guidance. Raising Trans Kids is exactly that—a beacon of clarity, reassurance, and wisdom in a time when trans children and their families are facing unprecedented challenges. Rebecca brings years of experience and deep empathy to this book, offering parents not just the tools they need, but the confidence to embrace and support their children fully. This is the kind of resource I wish every parent had from day one. Essential, affirming, and profoundly necessary.”

    Stephen Chukumba, LGBTQ+ Activist, Father, Producer (The Dads, Too)

  • Raising Trans Kids by Rebecca Minor is the essential guide so many families have been searching for. With clinical expertise, lived experience, and deep compassion, Rebecca meets parents and caregivers exactly where they are - offering clear, evidence-based answers to the questions they’re often too afraid to ask. This book not only helps parents and caregivers affirm and support their children, it also honors the journey parents themselves are undertaking. This resource is as practical as it is affirming. It empowers parents and caregivers to become the support system their children need while also providing reassurance, perspective, and tools for personal growth. For many families, Raising Trans Kids will be life-changing - and for some it will be life-saving. I’ll be recommending this book to every parent, educator, and advocate committed to building a world where transgender and gender-expansive kids are safe, celebrated, and free to thrive. Together, we can change the world.

    Liz Dyer, Author, Advocate, and Founder of Real Mama Bears

Press-Ready Excerpts

“Parents don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be present—and willing to grow.”

“Affirmation isn’t about pushing a child toward something. It’s about listening—and honoring who they’ve told you they are.”

“Shame keeps parents silent. But for trans youth, silence can feel like doubt.”

🎥 Video

The Trevor Project – Mental Health Awareness Month May 2025

🎧 Podcast Interviews

Want to connect with Rebecca or request an interview?