Xtra Explains: When do kids figure out gender?

Trans youth are all over the news. But what does research say about age and gender?

Xtra Explains: Puberty blockers

Politicians like Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith have set out to restrict their use. But what are these medications actually about?

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

Xtra Explains: Gender-affirming surgery for young people

No province in Canada performs bottom surgery on young people, and even top surgery is very rare

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

Xtra Explains: Hormone replacement therapy for young people

What does gender-affirming HRT actually look like for trans youth in Canada?

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

Xtra Explains: Trans girls and sports

Debunking some of the biggest myths around trans girls and fairness in sports

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

Xtra Explains: Inclusive sex education in Canada

SOGI curriculum and comprehensive sexuality education are vital resources to a young person’s education

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

Xtra Explains: ‘Trans-Trenders’ and social contagion theory

The rapid-onset gender dysphoria theory has been debunked. Here’s what you need to know

By Mel Woods

Xtra Explains

The 178 sources we used in Xtra Explains: Trans Youth

Dive into the citations and facts behind our new 10-part explainer series

By Hannah Mercanti, Mel Woods

Inside Xtra

Introducing Xtra Explains: Trans Youth

The 10-part video series provides shareable, fact-checked info on the hot-button issues of the debate around trans youth and their health

By Mel Woods

Books

In ‘American Teenager,’ trans youth get to speak for themselves

Nico Lang’s book takes us into the lives of seven trans youth across the U.S.

By Ziya Jones

Politics

With introduction of anti-trans policies, Danielle Smith rewrites the rules

OPINION: The Alberta premier is aiming to frame the passionate defence of trans youth as the unhinged stance

By Dale Smith

Youth

Canada’s queer community needs your help

OPINION: The bankruptcy of a long-standing queer organization combined with escalating threats against queer and trans people must be a call to action

By Omid Razavi

Youth

How ‘mature minor’ laws let trans kids make their own decisions

Canadian law lets some youth make medical or legal decisions for themselves, but how does it work?

By Florence Ashley

Education

The next ‘parental rights’ frontier? Getting kids out of school altogether

Christian Nationalists are encouraging parents to homeschool and avoid LGBTQ2S+-inclusive education

By Emma Arkell

Music

‘We never stopped performing’: Pansy Division’s Jon Ginoli on honesty, legacy and queer joy

Lead singer and lyricist reflects on the queer punk band’s album “Deflowered” ahead of their anniversary tour

By Joelle Kidd

Youth

Americans parents of trans kids to their Canadian counterparts: ‘Have a plan’

Ahead of upcoming provincial elections, parents who’ve been there share what they’ve learned from the onslaught of anti-trans hate in America

By Nico Lang

Dangerous Space

“Transing the gay away” is a fear-mongering myth

OPINION: The narrative allows “gender critical” activists to deflect accusations of bigotry—and that’s dangerous

By Kai Cheng Thom

Trans Health

Busting the myths around transition regret and detransition

How many people regret their decision to receive gender-affirming care? Do people who detransition always regret their transitions?

By Charlotte Sheasby