The Gender and Family Project is a left-of-center transgender advocacy and education group and a project of the Ackerman Institute for the Family, a New York-based therapy organization providing psychological therapy to families in distress. The Ackerman Institute was founded in 1960 and is known for being an early adopter of group and family therapy. The Gender and Family Project was founded by the institute in 2010. The group promotes acceptance of youth gender identity and hosts an annual “Night of a Thousand Genders” gala to raise funds for the project. The group has also conducted research related to gender identity and states that it is “rising to meet the needs of families and youths experiencing the onslaught of transphobic legislation, rhetoric, and media in the United States.” ^{1 2}

Background

The Gender and Family Project was founded in 2010 by Jean Malpas of the Ackerman Institute for the Family, a nonprofit founded in 1960 by Nathan Ackerman, an early adopter of group and family therapy. The Ackerman Institute is known for its work in the field of family therapy and provides therapy services to families in crisis. The Gender and Family Project focuses on providing transgender therapy services, training and research. The group particularly focuses on services catered to transgender youth and group states that “Through community and clinical services, research, training and education, GFP provides comprehensive and customized advocacy, regardless of a family’s financial situation or ability to pay.” ³

Activity

The project describes its services as focusing on “multidisciplinary services for gender expansive children.” Services include “Community and play groups for gender creative children and tweens 5 to 14 years old,” “community group for transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive adolescents 14 to 18 years old,” and “gender inclusivity training and gender literacy education for educators, mental health and health providers, and other organizations.” The organization also provides community groups for transgender individuals in foster care and juvenile justice systems. ⁴

In 2013, the group launched its annual “Night of a Thousand Genders” gala in New York City to fund the program. In 2015 the group expanded, providing training services for schools, workplaces, and other institutions in addition to adding Spanish-language programming. ⁵

Since 2016 the Gender and Family Project portrayed itself out as an authority on “on the critical role of young trans youth and their families,” stating that it engages with mainstream media outlets to provide comments on the “complexity of gender diversity.” ⁶

School Programming

The Gender and Family Project provides a significant amount of programming to promote transgender issues in public schools, with an emphasis on New York City schools. The group worked with the New York City government to promote the NYC Department of Education and Independent School’s Guidelines for Transgender Students, and it advertises services to evaluate a “school’s level of gender inclusivity.” ⁷  

School programs promoted by the group include “Supporting a Student’s Transition, Gender Diversity in Children & Adolescents, Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools and Curriculum, and Gender Diversity in Children & Adolescents.” ⁸

1. “History.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/history
2. “About Us.” Ackerman Institute for the Family. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://www.ackerman.org/about-us/
3.  “Mission.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/mission
4. “Mission.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/mission
5. “History.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/history
6. “History.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/history
7. “School Trainings.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/school-trainings
8. “School Trainings.” Gender and Family Project. Accessed January 19, 2024. https://genderandfamilyproject.org/school-trainings