Tools for the mind.
Support for the heart.
Curiosity and critical thinking are how we find our way through hard questions — and no family should have to face those questions alone. These are the books, tools, organizations, and evidence that helped us, gathered in one place.
From the project
The book, the podcast, and ongoing writing — the throughline is the same: choosing understanding over manufactured certainty.
Hello, World. I’m the Dad of a Trans Kid
The case for curiosity in a world addicted to certainty — part memoir, part argument, written from an engineer’s love for evidence and a father’s love for his son.
Learn more → The PodcastScientific Rebellion
Conversations on curiosity, critical thinking, faith, and the fight for our kids — listen on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, iHeart, and Amazon.
Listen → The NewsletterDispatches on Substack
New essays, plus pieces first shared with HuffPost, Medium, and the Human Rights Campaign. Subscribe to follow along.
Subscribe →Sharpening the tools we already have
We don’t need new superpowers — we need to recover the ones humanity already built. Curiosity, doubt, and the scientific method are a citizen’s defense against manufactured certainty.
The Baloney Detection Kit
Carl Sagan’s practical checklist for telling sense from nonsense — independent confirmation, weighing competing explanations, and the willingness to be wrong. From The Demon-Haunted World.
Productive doubt
Doubt isn’t the enemy of conviction; it’s how honest conviction is earned. Jennifer Michael Hecht’s Doubt: A History traces the long, brave tradition of asking “how do we know?”
Evidence over authority
Two questions carry you a long way: What’s the evidence? and What would change my mind? The most honest answer to a hard question is often “I don’t know yet — but I want to find out.”
Support for families and trans young people
If you’re a parent trying to understand, or a young person who needs someone to talk to, these organizations are a good place to start. They’re free and available now.
PFLAG
The nation’s largest organization for LGBTQ+ people and the families who love them — local support groups, including Our Children and Faith in Our Families.
The Trevor Project
Crisis support and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ young people, 24/7, at no cost.
Call 1-866-488-7386
Text START to 678678
Trans Lifeline
Peer support run by and for trans people — call if you need someone trans to talk to, crisis or not.
Call 1-877-565-8860
Gender Spectrum
Resources, groups, and guidance helping families and schools create gender-inclusive environments for children and teens.
Human Rights Campaign
Parents for Transgender Equality, plus up-to-date maps tracking gender-affirming care and legislation by state.
Stand with Trans
A Michigan-founded nonprofit supporting trans youth and their families — including Ally Parents, free one-on-one peer support from trained parents who’ve raised trans kids.
If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. You deserve support, and reaching out is a sign of strength.
Books that shaped the argument
A starting shelf drawn from the sources behind Hello, World — grouped by the questions they help answer.
On curiosity & certainty
- The Demon-Haunted WorldCarl Sagan
- Doubt: A HistoryJennifer Michael Hecht
On race & caste
- CasteIsabel Wilkerson
- White RageCarol Anderson
- Between the World and MeTa-Nehisi Coates
- The New Jim CrowMichelle Alexander
On faith & power
- Jesus and John WayneKristin Kobes Du Mez
- The Power WorshippersKatherine Stewart
What the research actually says
A working library of peer-reviewed studies, medical-organization guidance, legal resources, and explainers on transgender young people — the receipts behind the argument. Tap any group to expand.
Medical & pediatric consensus9+
- AAP Policy Statement: Support and Care of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents
- Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents (Pediatrics)
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Resources for LGBTQ Youth
- Supporting & Caring for Transgender Children (AAP, ACOP & HRC)
- Pediatricians Speak Out Against Legislation Targeting Trans Youth (AAP, 2021)
- Gender Identity Development in Children (HealthyChildren.org)
- WHO: New Health Guidelines Propel Transgender Rights (Human Rights Watch)
- Communicating With Patients Who Have Nonbinary Gender Identities (Annals of Family Medicine)
- Behavioral Health Care for Gender Diverse Children and Adolescents (Fenway Health)
Studies & research11+
- Sex Assigned at Birth Ratio Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adolescents (Pediatrics)
- Gender Identity 5 Years After Social Transition (Pediatrics)
- Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities
- The Effect of LGBT-Related Legislation on Children (Journal of Pediatrics)
- They Aren’t Confused: Landmark Study on Consistent Gender Identity
- Landmark Study to Track ‘Pioneer’ Generation of Transgender Children (UW)
- For Transgender Kids, Support is Key to Well-Being (UW)
- A Critical Commentary on “Desistance” Theories about Gender-Nonconforming Children
- Protective School Climates and Reduced Suicide Ideation (Williams Institute)
- The Price of Exclusion: A Research Guide (Williams Institute)
- Bullying is Lowered for All Kids When Schools Have LGBTQ-Inclusive Policies
Schools, law & policy13+
- Trans Youth Handbook: Legal Resource Guide (Harvard Law School)
- NEA Supports Safe Schools for LGBT Students
- NEA: Legal Guidance on Transgender Students’ Rights (PDF)
- Welcoming Schools (HRC Foundation)
- Schools In Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12
- Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for LGBTQ Students (Michigan SBE)
- A Guide for Schools on Department of Education Guidance (HRC)
- Updating and Amending School Records: FERPA FAQ (Lambda Legal)
- Title IX: An Imperfect but Vital Tool to Stop Bullying (Yale Law Journal)
- ID Documents Center — Michigan (Advocates for Trans Equality)
- Supreme Court: Civil Rights Law Protects LGBTQ People from Employment Discrimination (NBC)
- Restroom Access for Transgender Employees: Best Practices (OSHA / DOL)
- Stories and Numbers: Creating Safe and Supportive Schools
Debunking myths & misinformation8+
- ‘Social contagion’ isn’t causing more youths to be transgender, study finds (NBC)
- Misleading McHugh/Mayer Report Opposed by 600 Researchers and Clinicians (Vanderbilt)
- Scholars & Clinicians Reject Misleading Anti-LGBTQ “Report” (HRC)
- A Comprehensive Guide to the Debunked “Bathroom Predator” Myth (Media Matters)
- SPLC: American College of Pediatricians Designated a Hate Group
- The Pernicious Junk Science Stalking Trans Kids (ThinkProgress)
- Scholars Dismantle the Myth Policing Trans Kids’ Genders (ThinkProgress)
- The Lies and Dangers of Reparative (Conversion) Therapy (HRC)
Films, explainers & voices10+
- Understanding Gender (Gender Spectrum)
- The Most Dangerous Year (documentary)
- National Geographic: Gender Revolution (trailer)
- National Geographic: How Science Helps Us Understand Gender
- PBS Frontline: Growing Up Trans
- Transgender Resources (GLAAD)
- GLAAD Accountability Project
- 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report (HRC, PDF)
- Debi Jackson: “That’s Good Enough” (talk)
- Melissa McLaren: This Isn’t the Same Thing as Pretending Your Child Is a Dog (HuffPost)
Some sources date from 2015–2019 and a few links may have moved; the journal, AAP, GLAAD, SPLC, and Williams Institute items are the most durable. This library is reviewed monthly for fresh evidence.
The story in the public record
Years of essays, news coverage, and advocacy from our family’s journey — where this whole rebellion began.
Essays & op-eds by Peter Tchoryk10+
- Calling All Real Superheroes (HuffPost)
- Our Son Has a Dream, Too (HuffPost)
- The Simple, Self-Evident Truths of Transgender Kids, Equality, and Title IX (HuffPost)
- A Letter to Texas on Spaceflight, Dreams, and Transgender Kids (HuffPost)
- Why MLK’s Dream Is More Relevant Today Than Ever (HuffPost)
- Approach transgender issues with ‘open minds and hearts’ (MLive guest column)
- A Few Minutes of Your Time, Mr. President? (Daily Kos)
- Small Towns Making a Big Stand (Medium)
- Hello, world. I’m the Dad of a transgender kid. (the original Facebook note)
- The Dream (Facebook)
In the news14+
- He, she or they: The tricky issue of ‘parental rights’ in school LGBTQ policies (Detroit News)
- The Power of Storytelling (Detroit Free Press)
- All Means All (Pride Source)
- Saline’s Decision to Show I Am Jazz (The Saline Post)
- Why We Need LGBTQ Protections in Michigan, by Craig McCalla (We Love Dexter)
- Community Conversations Workshop on Young People and LGBTQ (We Love Dexter)
- St. James’ to Host Reading of “I Am Jazz” (We Love Dexter)
- Michigan Parents Call for Love, Support, and Understanding (Freedom for All Americans)
- How to Ensure a Safe School Year for Michigan’s Transgender Kids (Detroit Free Press)
- ‘We have to tell this story,’ says father of transgender child (MLive)
- Proposed policy for gay, transgender students debated (Detroit Free Press)
- Parents of Transgender Children Speak Out (Washington Post)
- Parents of Transgender Children Ask Trump to Meet Face-to-Face (Axios)
- Parents of Transgender Children Sign Declaration of Rights (Metro Weekly)
- Local family on raising a transgender child (WXYZ / 7 Action News)
- Breaking Ground: being young and transgender in Michigan (Michigan Radio)
- A Father’s Story: It’s OK to Be the Way You Are (School News Network)
HRC & national advocacy7+
- Parents for Transgender Equality National Council (HRC)
- Parents for Transgender Equality Council — Launch Video (HRC, 2016)
- Over 1,000 Parents of Trans Youth Call on Trump to Preserve Guidance (HRC)
- Parents for Trans Equality Council & Family Members Celebrate Pride (HRC)
- Small Towns Take Big Stands for Transgender Youth (HRC)
- Going Public: Is Public Advocacy Right for You and Your Child? (HRC guide, PDF)
- HRC Equality Magazine, Winter 2017 (PDF)
Where curiosity becomes civic practice
Curiosity is only the beginning. These organizations turn evidence and conviction into the work of protecting kids, knowledge, and a pluralistic democracy.
ACLU
Defending civil liberties in the courts, legislatures, and communities.
Visit →PFLAG Advocacy
Family-led advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion.
Visit →HRC
Policy, research, and tracking of laws affecting trans youth.
Visit →BJC
Defending faith freedom for all and the separation of church and state.
Visit →Choose understanding over certainty
Get new essays, follow the podcast, and be part of a movement that defends curiosity and the kids who depend on it.
