Yesterday, the Town of Greenwich celebrated Pride Month at Town Hall.
First Selectman Camillo offered a special proclamation for the day, which also featured a Pride flag raising. He was joined by other elected politicians and community leaders, along with representatives from the Triangle Community Center (TCC). The organization is based in Norwalk but serves all of Fairfield County.
TCC offers a variety of helpful programs, including peer support groups, recovery groups, social groups, wellness groups, and youth and young adult groups. All of the programs, except the last one — youth and young adult groups — are geared toward adults aged 18 and up.
The Youth and Young Adult Groups include a Transgender & Gender Questioning Youth Forum. This group welcomes any youths who identify as "transgender, gender queer, gender questioning, gender variant, gender non-conforming, and any other gender minority or creative identity." This forum targets children aged 13 to adults aged 24. They place 13-year-old trans / gender questioning youth in the same group as 24-year-olds.
TCC also offers a Youth Hangout for children aged 12 and under. The club’s description says, "Who wants to hang? Come join TCC's social work staff for an online teen space where we hang out, play games and chat about what's on your mind. All in a safe, supportive environment. Bring your friends or make new ones!” Again, this is for children 12 and under. Additionally, TCC offers links to LGBTQ health service providers including Planned Parenthood and Anchor Health in Stamford. Anchor Health has adopted an eager stance on “gender-affirming care” meaning hormones and/or puberty blockers. Anchor’s position states, "We believe all trans and gender nonconforming youth deserve gender-affirming health care, full stop.” That includes children under age 18. Current laws require informed consent from medical guardian(s) for children under 18 in order to start hormones and/or puberty blockers.
More than a dozen states are considering proposals that would penalize health care providers, like Anchor Health, for providing gender-affirming care to children and teenagers. Republican leaders in Texas have said this type of care amounts to “child abuse,” even as major medical organizations endorse it. Arkansas is fighting in federal court to preserve a ban on the treatments.
Connecticut seems to celebrate “gender-affirming care” for children, along with the groups that promote it.
P.S. No word yet on whether the town will have a National Flag Day celebration tomorrow, but there will be a Juneteenth celebration on June 17th.