Jay runs this group every other Thursday at 7:30pm ET

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This group is for those who identify as transgender, including those who identify themselves outside of the gender binary, to speak about their shared experiences. In this space, participants will discuss the challenges and joys of living life as a transgender individual. Participants will use support and encouragement from one another to develop a sense of self-love. The group will explore strategies for maintaining self-love outside the group. 

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About the Moderator: ​

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Jay Culkin jculkin1015@gmail.com

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Jay is a queer and trans individual with Autism and CPTSD. Jay has a Masters Degree in Social & Public Policy. Jay has worked as a professional peer since 2023 in the State of New York, where he was born and raised. Jay has supported youth and adults alike as a peer in various settings including a residential mental health facility for teens, a community based mental health program for children and youth, a clinic setting for adults, and a peer respite house for adults. Jay is now the Youth Workforce Development Coordinator for the credentialing body for Youth Peers in his state. Jay has worked on projects such as volunteering as a literacy tutor for immigrants with limited English proficiency, a proxy caller for non-verbal autistic individuals, and a blog writer for an anti-violence non-profit. Jay is a drag performer who uses his performances and funds collected as show tips to draw attention and support to anti-violence efforts. After living on the highly populated suburban Long Island for his entire life, Jay and his wife and pet
dwarf rabbit (Onion) have moved to a small town in Upstate New York to be closer to nature, get involved in a close-knit LGBTQ community, and explore hobbies, interests and community building activities. Jay hopes to bring this understanding of healing in a peer context and how recreation in a co-creative space can change lives.