I was contacted recently by Riley Graham, a graduate student in the School of Education at Mills College in Oakland, CA, about her study: The Young Child’s Independence in Expressing Gender Nonconformity.

Riley is looking for parents or legal guardians of gender-nonconforming children between the ages two and eight to participate in the study, which is about how young gender-nonconforming or gender-questioning children express their gender identity in preschool. She said: “Your assistance in this study is very important, and may contribute to making preschool a more welcoming and inclusive place for young gender nonconforming children.”

The study will look at:

How the preschool environment might affect young gender nonconforming children’s ability to express their gender identity

How the preschool teacher might affect young gender nonconforming children’s ability to express their gender identity

What the connection between parent or legal guardian involvement in supportive services, e.g. therapy, listserv and their positive reports of support in preschool and by the teachers might be

I think that participating in this study is a great opportunity for caretakers to speak about their experiences, and potentially to make a difference as we show the benefits of family support for kids who are different.

Click here to complete the anonymous online survey. (It should take 10-30 minutes to complete; upon completion of survey, you will be entered into a raffle for a $100 amazon.com gift certificate.)

Questions? contact Riley Graham at rgraham@mills.edu.