June is Pride Month.
For many, it is a time of visibility. You see it reflected in public spaces, in messaging,
and in broader conversations. It has become something people recognize and expect
each year.
And visibility matters.
But visibility and belonging are not the same thing.
Being seen does not always mean being understood. Being included does not always
mean feeling safe enough to be fully yourself.
For many individuals and families, there is still a quiet question that shows up in
everyday moments:
Is it safe to be open here?
Will I be understood?
Do I belong in this space as I am?
We are talking more than we used to. There is more awareness, more language, and
more willingness to engage in these conversations.
And still, there is a gap between being acknowledged and truly belonging.
At Provider Enrichment Services, we believe belonging is something that is built.
It grows through connection, through listening, and through creating spaces where
people can show up without needing to explain or defend who they are.
Featured Story by Crystal Culp
For everything there is a season. As parents, there is so much that we expect to go
through with and for our children but hearing that they are transgender is not one of
those things. We are not prepared because it isn’t something that we know or
understand, but still our parental instinct kicks in. We react with what we know – more
instruction, conditional discipline, quiet bargaining, protection by avoiding hard
conversations, and grief over what we think we are losing. I waited, I watched, I
grieved. After, and despite all of this, my child was still transgender and I still loved
them.
For me, this journey required an honest assessment of who I was, what I believed, and
why I believed it. I had to move past the idea of my child being transgender as a
summative evaluation on my performance as a mother. I had to let go of the blame. I
wasn’t the cause, nor would I be the cure. I needed to grieve the hopes and dreams of
the life I imagined with a daughter and embrace the future with my son. Primarily, I
needed to educate myself to build empathy for something that I didn’t understand and
that meant finding community and support. I found it in new friends traveling the same
path and honest conversations about our struggles. I wasn’t alone and neither were
they.
If my son could find the bravery to live their authentic self, I could find the bravery to ask
him questions and listen to him. I learned the vocabulary necessary to process the
information and I gave myself permission for a shift in mindset.
It continues to be the hardest journey of my life, as learning and accepting my son has
enhanced parental fears of social acceptance and isolation, physical safety, and it has
deepened my hopes of him finding and having a loving and affirming relationship.
I chose love because that’s what parenting is, and through this life-change season
suddenly a loss became a gain. I see now that I was the one who had to change, as he
had to embrace his truth, and for that I am very proud to call him my son.
Crystal & her son Ashton (February 2026)
An Invitation
At Provider Enrichment Services, our work begins with connection.
When people are given space to be seen and heard without judgment, something
begins to shift. Understanding grows, trust builds, and from that, new possibilities can
take shape.
Connect. Discover. Launch.
This June, we are creating space for those conversations.
We are inviting parents and guardians of transgender individuals to come together for a
Builders Conversation. A place to listen, share, and connect in a way that allows people
to show up as themselves.
If you want to be part of that space, we hope you will join us.
Builder’s Conversation for Pride Month
Saturday, June 13th, 2026
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Location: McCracken County Public Library
555 Washington Street
Paducah, KY 42003
This is a space for parents, caregivers, and guardians to come together and talk openly about their experiences.
You can share.
You can listen.
You can simply be present.
All are welcome.