"my child's truth is my accountability."

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to disrupt the systems that marginalize, shame, silence and illegitimize the lives of trans and non-binary youth, especially in our Black and Brown communities.

#blacklivesmatter

#protecttranslives

#transrightsarehumanrights

#transmale

#transfemale

#nonbinary

#supporttranslit

#readlgbtqia+lit

#ourchildrenknowthemselves

#blacktrans

#BIPOC

#mychildwillnotbeerased

#proudblackmomoftranshumanbeing

#gaytransqueernonbinaryhuman

#parentsoftranschildrenareparentstoo

#factsoverfear

#politiciansloveliesnotfamilies

#teacherskeepdoingyourjobs

nadeen (she/her) - who is also known as  mothasistah - is a powerful work in progress. after 27 years of service in education, she decided to alter her teaching rationale when her youngest child bravely challenged everything nadeen thought she knew about parenting, about people, about herself.  

how? nadeen's child told her that the doctors got it wrong.  her child introduced himself to her; introduced her to a new language; introduced her to facts vs fiction.

now, nadeen is actively unlearning, exploring and "righting the wrongs" as it relates to the "othering" of trans human beings - especially as it relates to Black and Brown "family" - by unapologetically speaking on and writing about it for the masses.  

Life...According to Z

first installment of mothasistah's children's book series (of the same name) written from the  perspective of a prepubescent, Black, trans male who introduces himself to his mother, for the first time, at the age of 7. this series chronicles real family triumph over daily life challenges, including family disharmony, harassment/physical threats from peers and the constant rejection of the larger community.

Author Appearances

book and poetry readings

panelist / keynote deliverer

book fairs/pop-up events

Education Consulting

facilitator (minimum of 90 minutes)

30-minute free consultation to discuss -

 staff / teacher training

 curriculum creation

 school handbook modification

 family-school mediation/advocacy

 family mediation

 family-doctor mediation/advocacy

*costs for services discussed during consultation

“The Gender & Sexuality Development Program at CHOP has been excited to partner with Nadeen on multiple trainings for local school districts around supporting transgender and gender expansive students. The passion and professionalism that she brings to each training makes learning about tough topics easy and digestible and it is truly an honor to work alongside her.”

Samantha King, MSW, MEd
she/her/hers

Manager of Education Initiatives
Gender & Sexuality Development Program
CHOP

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is committed to providing the best and most compassionate care to the patients and families we serve. We look forward to working with our newly elected officials and continuing to advocate for policies that protect comprehensive healthcare for all children, inclusive of their gender identity. We fully support our colleagues in the Gender & Sexuality Development program and will continue to ensure that our patients and families have access to the highest quality care.

The Gender and Sexuality Development Program offers psychosocial and medical support for gender nonconforming, gender expansive and transgender children and youth up to age 21 and their families. Our multidisciplinary team includes specialists in gender identity development from Social Work and Family Services, Adolescent Medicine, Endocrinology, and Behavioral Health. We work with your family to best meet the needs of your child or youth who is transgender or gender nonconforming. We also provide consultation and training for providers and organizations interested in learning how to better serve the needs of gender nonconforming youth. 

Learn more about the Gender and Sexuality Program

According to the Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health:

- 12% of white youth attempted suicide in the past year compared to -

    21% Native/Indigenous youth

    20% Middle Eastern/Northern Africa 

           youth

    19% Black youth

    16% LatinX youth

    17% Multicultural youth

    12% Asian American/Pacific Islander

             youth. 

Fewer than 1 in 3 transgender and non-binary youth found their homes to be gender-affirming.

60% of LGBTQ youth who wants mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.

The 5 most common ways LGBTQ youth reported feeling supported by their caregivers/parents:

1. welcome their friends/partners

2. talk w/them respectfully about their identity

3. use their names & pronouns Are correctly

4. support their gender expression

5. educate themselves about LGBTQ people and issues.