Trans Support Group (TSG) is a new support group at Antioch Community High School that is an offset of the Student Voice Committee, a group that intends to deal with issues schools face. TSG aims to support transgender students at ACHS, who identify with a different gender than their sex at birth.
According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 35% of transgender students, which makes up around 2% of high school students, have attempted suicide in 2018. In order to prevent and avoid this type of tragedy from occurring at ACHS, the student body has formed the TSG. Many similar support groups are being founded at schools around the country.
TSG was originally brought up by sophomore Jeremy R. and counselor Brett Heintz during the 2018 school year, but the group had their first official meeting on October 8, 2019.
“It’s a really welcoming and positive group,” Jeremy R. said. “Even if you [do not] necessarily struggle with acceptance, it’s still nice to see another person’s point of view, and to have someone there for you or be there for someone.”
The number of members in TSG varies; their most crowded meeting had 11 students, who were all at varying points in their transition. TSG typically meets every Tuesday during school hours at Student Services. The period they meet varies each week through a cycle.
TSG discusses several topics at meetings, such as personal experiences and how they can take action in the community.
“We’re trying to come up with ways to reach out to students and staff members to educate them on the trans community,” Heintz said. “[It is] a good group to come out and find support for people [who have] gone through similar [experiences] or feel like a member of a community.”
TSG hopes to broaden people’s perspectives, educate others and provide a safe environment for transgender students to open up and feel supported at ACHS.
