High school recommendations for a trans nd girl of color?
Hello, I’m a single mom of a 17 year old brown trans girl. We are spontaneously moving to Portland for my daughter’s senior year from Colorado. My daughter has had a really rough year starting with normal teen heartache but then her trans mentor here from a youth org she was very active in here took their own life in November. The Children’s Hospital stopped providing gender affirming care (can’t prescribe anymore) And then she went down an Epstein files rabbit hole. She’s been in an extremely dark place and I have been trying everything. I took her and her older sister on a trip to Portland this summer and I just felt her energy soften and relax and I saw her feeling safe in the world for the first time in a long time. It made me cry. And then the last day we were there I asked for a sign and she happened upon a fallen tree on a trail with the words Trans Girls Matter on it. Cried again. Couldn’t get a more specific sign. So I’m taking a huge leap and we are moving there for her senior year.
Sooo…we are late to enroll. Have to find a school, a safe place to live, all of that in the next 2 months, so asking for support from the good folks of Portland.
We are people of color. Diversity is important to me, but trans friendliness and a supportive environment and access to mental health resources are most important. My daughter is very politically conscious and I think that would be important to her as well. She tends to prefer low stimulation…doesn’t like a lot of loud noise. Also she loves to roller skate.
So looking for suggestions for high schools (diverse, trans friendly, progressive, supportive), for neighborhoods (ideally diverse neighborhoods near said schools), cat friendly housing, resources for trans youth, youth gender affirming care, and also great places to roller skate and other low sensory trans friendly teen hangouts.
Thank you so so much! Wish us luck!