TYFA President Shannon Garcia said. "The Vanguard Award is a wonderful acknowledgement of Kim's work for TYFA at the frontier of family support related to gender identity and expression. Gender-variant minors and their families have unique needs. As more young people express a wider range of gender identities, including transition to living in their affirmed gender, TYFA is leading the way in these emerging legal, medical, and social issues."
Kim Pearson accepted the award Tuesday night, and said, "I am thrilled and honored to receive this award. Since our founding in 2006, TYFA has seen significant improvements in attitudes and accommodations for gender-variant and gender-questioning youth. Recognition like the Vanguard Award inspires me and the organization I lead to keep that momentum going."
