Lori Ampey has lost track of the number of times in the last year she has rushed to the hospital to hold the hand of a parent of a transgender child who harmed themselves, or sat next to a child — her arm wrapped around them — contemplating doing the same.
Ampey said she often takes panicked phone calls from worried parents and teens in pain searching for answers and acceptance in a shifting, polarized political environment where they feel targeted. As director for the LGBTQ+ Youth Center at Tanager Place in Cedar Rapids, Ampey sees firsthand the stress youth and young adults face daily.
“The self-harm is at an all-time high for sure,” Ampey said. “More kids (are) making frequent trips to the hospital.”
She shared an anecdote of a child who had been coming to the center since it opened four years ago. Their mother uprooted and moved the family to another community, feeling it safer to get farther away from what the family viewed as harmful political rhetoric against transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals. But, away from the center and its support network, the teen felt more isolated and attempted suicide.
Last month, the family moved back to Cedar Rapids, and last week was their first day back at the youth center.
“The mother said she saw a smile again on her child’s face that she hadn’t seen in eight months,” Ampey said.
Ampey and Tanager Place Chief Executive Officer Okpara Rice said they’re seeing increased need for mental health and community-based support and programs for LGBTQ+ youth, particularly transgender youth, in the wake of passage of recent laws by the Republican-led Iowa Legislature banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting LGBTQ education in schools.
“I don’t know that they understand the damage they’re doing,” Ampey said of lawmakers. “At the end of the day, it’s them that are making these kids feel unworthy and unloved and like they don’t belong on this Earth.”
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March found majorities of Iowans supported legislation to restrict how teachers can discuss gender identity or sexual orientation and ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The center provides a safe and confidential environment for LGBTQ+ youth, families and allies, where children and teens can express themselves and find support among new friends and mentors, Ampey said. It offers support groups, mentoring programs, social gatherings, community service projects, health initiative classes, parent workshops, financial literacy, tutoring and career exploration.
The center serves dozens of families, with small groups of children and teens numbering anywhere from 12 to 20, and adult groups with anywhere from 31 to 57 members. It draws families from surrounding communities big and small, urban and rural — from Oelwein to Waterloo to Iowa City.
The Gazette reached out through Ampey to see if any would be willing to talk about their experiences and challenges posed by Iowa’s new law. Ampey said none were willing to talk on the record out of fear of being harassed.
The center recently started a support group for transgender youth and their parents, in response to the new Iowa law prohibiting the use of puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria for those under 18, regardless of parental consent.
“We need more programs for transgender youth,” Ampey said, adding “parents are scared” and grappling with how to access medical care “to help their child be comfortable with who they are.” She said many are traveling out of state to seek care in Illinois and Minnesota.
Health providers still are able to see LGBTQ children in their offices but cannot provide gender-affirming treatments. Medical professionals who violate the law could be subject to discipline from a state licensing board, and individuals can bring lawsuits against doctors who continue providing gender-affirming care.
The UnityPoint LGBTQ Clinic in Cedar Falls has partnered with and is referring children and their families to 13 clinics in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois to continue receiving care, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
The Tanager Place center also recently hosted Pfund Foundation out of Minneapolis, which is working to raise money to help pay transportation costs for youth from North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa to receive care out-of-state. Money raised would also be used to cover tuition costs for remote schools that are welcoming to all gender identities in cases where students' local districts are not safe spaces for trans and queer youth, as well as cash grants to support organizations like Tanager Place.
www.thegazette.com
Ampey said she often takes panicked phone calls from worried parents and teens in pain searching for answers and acceptance in a shifting, polarized political environment where they feel targeted. As director for the LGBTQ+ Youth Center at Tanager Place in Cedar Rapids, Ampey sees firsthand the stress youth and young adults face daily.
“The self-harm is at an all-time high for sure,” Ampey said. “More kids (are) making frequent trips to the hospital.”
She shared an anecdote of a child who had been coming to the center since it opened four years ago. Their mother uprooted and moved the family to another community, feeling it safer to get farther away from what the family viewed as harmful political rhetoric against transgender and LGBTQ+ individuals. But, away from the center and its support network, the teen felt more isolated and attempted suicide.
Last month, the family moved back to Cedar Rapids, and last week was their first day back at the youth center.
“The mother said she saw a smile again on her child’s face that she hadn’t seen in eight months,” Ampey said.
Center sees growing need for support, safe spaces
Ampey and Tanager Place Chief Executive Officer Okpara Rice said they’re seeing increased need for mental health and community-based support and programs for LGBTQ+ youth, particularly transgender youth, in the wake of passage of recent laws by the Republican-led Iowa Legislature banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting LGBTQ education in schools.
“I don’t know that they understand the damage they’re doing,” Ampey said of lawmakers. “At the end of the day, it’s them that are making these kids feel unworthy and unloved and like they don’t belong on this Earth.”
A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll from March found majorities of Iowans supported legislation to restrict how teachers can discuss gender identity or sexual orientation and ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
The center provides a safe and confidential environment for LGBTQ+ youth, families and allies, where children and teens can express themselves and find support among new friends and mentors, Ampey said. It offers support groups, mentoring programs, social gatherings, community service projects, health initiative classes, parent workshops, financial literacy, tutoring and career exploration.
The center serves dozens of families, with small groups of children and teens numbering anywhere from 12 to 20, and adult groups with anywhere from 31 to 57 members. It draws families from surrounding communities big and small, urban and rural — from Oelwein to Waterloo to Iowa City.
The Gazette reached out through Ampey to see if any would be willing to talk about their experiences and challenges posed by Iowa’s new law. Ampey said none were willing to talk on the record out of fear of being harassed.
The center recently started a support group for transgender youth and their parents, in response to the new Iowa law prohibiting the use of puberty blockers, hormones and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria for those under 18, regardless of parental consent.
“We need more programs for transgender youth,” Ampey said, adding “parents are scared” and grappling with how to access medical care “to help their child be comfortable with who they are.” She said many are traveling out of state to seek care in Illinois and Minnesota.
Health providers still are able to see LGBTQ children in their offices but cannot provide gender-affirming treatments. Medical professionals who violate the law could be subject to discipline from a state licensing board, and individuals can bring lawsuits against doctors who continue providing gender-affirming care.
The UnityPoint LGBTQ Clinic in Cedar Falls has partnered with and is referring children and their families to 13 clinics in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois to continue receiving care, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported.
The Tanager Place center also recently hosted Pfund Foundation out of Minneapolis, which is working to raise money to help pay transportation costs for youth from North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa to receive care out-of-state. Money raised would also be used to cover tuition costs for remote schools that are welcoming to all gender identities in cases where students' local districts are not safe spaces for trans and queer youth, as well as cash grants to support organizations like Tanager Place.
Center: Self-harm at ‘all-time high’ among Iowa LGBTQ youth
Cedar Rapids center sees growing need for support and safe spaces for LGBTQ youth in the wake of new Iowa laws banning gender-affirming care for minors and restricting LGBTQ education in schools.
www.thegazette.com
