The topic of gender identity has made headlines – and controversy – around the world as individuals and organizations work to redefine traditional gender roles.
Dr. Laura Saunders is a child and adolescent psychologist at Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, and a nationally renowned authority on the topic of gender identity. She answers your questions about the topic in this edition of Facebook LIVE: Ask the Expert, hosted by Tina Varona:
Q. How has the role of gender identity changed in recent years?
A. Since the time of Plato, dualism has dominated Western thinking… Yin/ yang, republican/democrat, heterosexual/ homosexual and male/female to name a few. In many areas, we are moving away from such dualism. We know Kinsey’s research debunked the myth that most individuals were exclusively hetero or homo and now we are moving away from looking at gender as binary. There are non-binary individuals across time and cultures. The native-American’s referred to them as two-spirit.
Q. You are the clinical coordinator of “The Right Track,” an LGBTQ young adult specialty track at Hartford Hospital‘s Institute of Living. What does that mean?
A. The Right Track/LGBTQ Specialty track in Young Adult Services (YAS) is one of 3 tracks in YAS, including a general mental health track and dual diagnosis track. The Right Track/LGBTQ Specialty track is an intensive outpatient program and the only specialty track in the state and one of a few in the Northeast that is exclusively for young adults. Young adults have different developmental needs that the greater adult population. We specialize in youth who identify somewhere on the LGBTQ Spectrum and have co-occurring mental health struggles.
Q. Journalist Katie Couric recently explored the issue of gender identity in the National Geographic documentary, Gender Revolution. Tell us about that documentary.
A. “Gender Revolution” It examines gender and gender identity from various perspectives and gets first- hand accounts of their gender experience including transgender, intersex, non-binary along with the stories of families struggling to understand and support their children. After the Gender Revolution screening, we will host a panel discussion with experts in endocrinology and hormone replacement therapy, a parent from PFLAG, and trans youth. The film has been made available to community to open the discussion further and to give members of the community access to professionals and parents who have experience in gender identity and transgender youth.
The Institute of Living’s Right Track/LGBTQ Specialty Track is an Intensive Outpatient Program in Young Adult Services for 16- to 24-year olds who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and are experiencing significant emotional distress who need a more skills-based therapeutic program. Learn more here.
