Experts on Trans and Gender Diverse Youth Available to Comment

Experts from the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity/Expression (SOGIE) Caucus of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) are available to members of the media for informed analysis and comment on the recent slate of state and local policies which impact transgender and gender diverse youth and their families.

Scholars can speak on a range of issues including the impact of anti-trans laws and policies on trans youth and their families; schooling; health and well-being of gender diverse youth; mental health of gender diverse youth; family relationships and gender identity; and Latinx transgender and gender diverse youth.

Scholars are representing their own views, not those of the SRCD. If you are interested in speaking with one of the scholars, please email SRCD’s Media Relations and Communications Manager, Jessica Efstathiou at jefstathiou@srcd.org.

Russell Toomey, PhD (he/him or they/them), Professor of Family Studies and Human Development and Interim Director of the Institute for LGBT Studies, University of Arizona
Relevant areas of expertise: health and well-being of sexual and gender minority youth, sexual and gender minority youth development, family and school contexts for adolescent development

Kristina Olson, PhD (she/her), Professor, Department of Psychology, Princeton University, New Jersey
Relevant areas of expertise: transgender children, early childhood social transitions, gender development, mental health of gender diverse youth

Jenifer McGuire, PhD (she/her), Professor, Extension Specialist, Department of Family Social Science, University of Minnesota
Relevant areas of expertise: health and well-being of transgender youth, family relationships and gender identity

Roberto Abreu, PhD (he/him/his/él), Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology, University of Florida
Relevant areas of expertise: impact of anti-trans laws and policies on trans youth and their families, gender diverse youth health disparities and resilience, parent-child relationship, Latinx transgender and gender diverse people and communities

Note: Dr. Abreu is fluent in Spanish and available to speak to Spanish media outlets.

Stephen T. Russell, PhD (he/him), Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professor in Child Development, University of Texas at Austin
Relevant areas of expertise: LGBTQ+ youth and their families, schooling, and health

Robert Marx, PhD (they/them and he/him), Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Development, San José State University
Relevant areas of expertise: school and community contexts for healthy adolescent development, sources of support and strength for transgender and gender diverse youth, school- and community-based programming for transgender, gender diverse, and queer youth

Jessica Fish, PhD (she/her), Assistant Professor, Family Science, School of Public Health, University of Maryland
Relevant areas of expertise: positive development and health of LGBTQ+ people and their families

Materials of potential interest:

• SRCD Governing Council Denounces Texas Anti-Trans Directive, Urges Policymakers to Look at Evidence
• Statement of the Evidence, Gender-Affirming Policies Support Transgender
• and Gender Diverse Youth’s Health
• SRCD Statement in Support of Transgender and Gender Diverse Children and Youth