Jamie Bruesehoff is an award-winning LGBTQ+ advocate, nationally known speaker, and mother of three, including a transgender child. Her family and work have been featured by media outlets and organizations around the world, including Disney, NPR, Good Morning America, USA Today, The Today Show, CBS News, Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, and The GenderCool Project. With a master's degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary-Gettysburg and twenty years of experience working with youth and adults in and outside of the church, she strives to create a world where LGBTQ+ young people thrive. She lives in New Jersey with her spouse and children. Rebekah Bruesehoff is a 16-year-old author and activist passionate about inclusion and authenticity. She stumbled into public advocacy when a picture of her holding a sign that said ""I'm the Scary Trangender Person the Media Warned You About"" went viral in 2017. Suddenly she had a platform, and she knew she needed to use it. Since then she's used that platform to connect with legislators, advocate for representation of LGBTQ+ voices in books and media, and share her story. Senator Sarah McBride represents the First Senate District in Delaware. Prior to her election, McBride served as the national spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest LGBTQ equal rights organization. When McBride was elected in 2020, she became the first openly transgender state senator in American history.
"""A poignant view into raising gender-diverse children, Raising Kids Beyond the Binary is a powerful account of a mother's love and advocacy for her daughter."" --Foreword Reviews ""This is a wise and necessary resource."" --Publishers Weekly ""Jamie and Rebekah Bruesehoff are real-life heroes. Not only do they demonstrate immense bravery in all of their actions; they are changing the world one giant step at a time. They teach us that, whatever your religion, love is universal, and everyone deserves the freedom to express who they are authentically. Rebekah has grown to become a wise, mature, and beautiful young woman, and I'm so incredibly proud of her. Thank you for always being you."" --Jazz Jennings, LGBTQ rights activist, author of Being Jazz, and star of the TLC series I Am Jazz ""As a gay dad, my number-one priority is raising kids who love themselves wholly and show kindness and empathy for others. Which is why I'm so grateful for Jamie Bruesehoff's honest, wise, and personal new book, Raising Kids Beyond the Binary. This book is for every parent who wants to help their kids navigate healthy conversations and curiosities about gender. Bruesehoff's personal insight has not only given me language and guidance for engaging the topic of gender but has equipped and empowered me to know better how to help my kids love and support their transgender and nonbinary friends well."" --Matthew Paul Turner, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books What Is God Like? and When God Made You ""When I think someone wants or needs to be enlightened about the trans reality, I will recommend this book. Part memoir, part storytelling, and part instruction, this book both enlightens and inspires. I also believe it will change hearts and minds and help us all envision and create a more intelligent, inclusive, and compassionate world. Plus, we meet Jamie's trans daughter, the Mighty Rebekah, and read her own words about her experience and her vision for humanity. I'm so happy this book exists. What a resource!"" --David Hayward, artist @NakedPastor and author of Flip It Like This! ""Reading Jamie Brueshoff's Raising Kids Beyond the Binary is like sitting down with Jamie in her living room, having her take your hand, inviting you to learn with her, lean on her, and feeling like you have known her for years and trust her like a dear friend. For any parent or caregiver eager to better understand their child's gender journey, Jamie is a skilled, engaging teacher who makes an often-complex topic accessible and clear; there are dozens of aha moments along the path. Jamie's clarion call is to live with love and grace, and literally every page is rooted in this value. Having read many books and articles on this topic and talked with hundreds of parents of trans and nonbinary youth, I can confidently say this book is essential reading. It is the premier primer for any parent or other adult looking for guidance on raising their gender-expansive child and should be required reading for all who want to create space and freedom for their child of any gender to be their full, authentic self, free of enforced expectations."" --Ellen Kahn, senior director, Programs and Partnerships, HRC Foundation ""This book is a lifeline for families with transgender kids. Even more, it is like a manual, filled with stories, theology, resources, and wisdom. This is a must-read for church leaders, people of faith, and all who care about trans and nonbinary kids and their families."" --Michael Rinehart, bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America"