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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 17 ...We take care of kids... 104 Fulton Avenue (Main oce) Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.452.1700 www.childrensmedgroup.com THE PEDIATRICIANS OF THE HUDSON VALLEY SM 'JTILJMMt)PQFXFMM+DUt)ZEF1BSL ,JOHTUPOt.PEFOBt/FXCVSHI 1PVHILFFQTJFt3IJOFCFDL We Know Kids. Get to Know Us. Visit our website or call our main number to schedule an appointment with your Favorite Doc in our Fishkill and Hopewell Junction offices. Always accepting new patients. Open 365 days a year. 24-hour availability. Over 70 insurance plans accepted. Follow us on facebook & twitter Find out why Hudson Valley Parent magazine readers voted so many of our Providers as their "FAVORITE DOCS!" Make an appointment with your favorite doc, and find them on our website. The Children's Medical Group is all about kids, and all our Providers and staff members excel at what they do. Caring for kids is our life. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Eight "local" offices offer comprehensive medical services from birth through adolescence. Dr. Marc Habert Fishkill Office Dr. James Sulzer Fishkill Office Dr. Natasha Tzagoloff Fishkill Office Dr. Sejal Dalwadi Hopewell Junction Office Dr. Herschel R. Lessin Hopewell Junction Office Dr. Christine Verna Hopewell Junction Office Help Your Kids Stay Healthy with an Annual Physical Call today to schedule a visit at your Local CMG office. pregnant and cooking in the kitchen and after I said that I was not interested in ever having children, one kid said that it's good that my kind was being bred out of society." He's also been bullied in the locker room and harassed about his identity. "I was questioned as if it was my responsibility to give them the answers that they were looking for," says Isaac. Isaac uses the nurse's bathroom primarily, although the school allows him to use whichever bathroom or locker room he feels comfortable in. Superintendent of Schools Mark Villanti says, "Transgender teens have a choice in which bathrooms to use. We have an inclusive culture and this choice has not led to any conflict." But Isaac hasn't felt welcome or safe enough to change in the boys' locker room. His mother explains, "He isn't sure he would be accepted since his peers always knew him as a girl prior to high school. At least in the girls' bathroom he feels confident that the bullying will remain verbal and not get physically aggressive." No matter what happens at school or in the outside world, though, Isaac is grateful for the support of his family. "If you go out on vacation and you're in a different place with different people and new experiences, it's nice to have something familiar and safe to come home to," he says. "It kind of makes the scarier things easier if you know that you have a place where you can go where none of those things can really touch you." Support in the community Today, Isaac and his family are part of the Northern Dutchess Rainbow Coalition of the Hudson Valley. The Rainbow Coalition offers bi-monthly meetings for teens and their families and has events that bring the community together. Munn recalls, "Last year in June, the Rainbow Coalition had its first PRIDE parade in Red Hook. They also held a eulogy for the victims of the Orlando Pulse nightclub tragedy." The Rainbow Coalition has also partnered with the local Red Hook Gay Straight Alliance in the middle and high school to host events for social support. The Munns also find support in other local resources. "We have found resources through the Hudson Valley LGBTQ center as well as connections at Planned Parenthood. They are now equipped to help people with transition hormone therapy." Isaac and his family have also become support systems for other families as their teens go through similar changes. Lisa Iannucci is a local freelance writer. Her latest book, On Location: A Film & TV Lover's Travel Guide, was released on February 1, 2018.