PFLAG Waukesha will host author and parent advocate Andrew Patrie for a community discussion on supporting transgender youth and their families on Thursday, May 14, at the Waukesha Public Library.

The free public event, scheduled from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Program Room A, will center around Patrie’s recent memoir, Clumsy Love: A Father’s Journey Parenting His Transgender Daughter, which chronicles his experiences raising his transgender daughter and navigating the emotional complexities of parenting through transition.

According to organizers, Patrie’s presentation will address the challenges many parents face when seeking support, information and community after a child comes out as transgender. The discussion will also include practical advice and resources drawn from his family’s experiences.

“As a parent, there was no roadmap for raising a transgender child,” Patrie said in a statement announcing the event. “As my daughter transitioned, I found myself grappling with increasingly complex questions: How could I fully support her while keeping her safe? What should be done with old family photos? And how could I mourn the son I thought I had while wholeheartedly embracing the daughter I now loved?”

He added that the memoir documents “a personal journey of love, loss and discovery” as he learned to support his daughter “one clumsy step at a time.”

The event comes amid continued national conversations surrounding transgender youth and family support systems. Organizers cited research from the Williams Institute estimating that approximately 3.3% of Americans ages 13 to 17 identify as transgender.

PFLAG Waukesha said attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and share their own experiences parenting transgender children. Virtual attendance options are also available by request.

Founded in 1973, PFLAG supports LGBTQIA+ people, parents, families and allies through education, advocacy and peer support programs. The Waukesha chapter hosts local support meetings and community resource programming throughout the year.

More information is available through PFLAG Waukesha.