Toronto dad Jamie Alexander is showing what real allyship is. After founding RUBIES — a line of active clothes for trans girls and women inspired by his trans daughter, Ruby — Alexander recently debuted an AI tool that sensitively answers questions about trans issues and is geared toward parents seeing answers on transitions, health care, or queer resources.
The RUBIES Gender Journey Chatbot is described by Alexander as a "virtual assistant designed to support LGBTQ+ families in their journey" and an "invaluable resource for parents seeking guidance on their LGBTQ+ journey." The chatbot is free, multi-lingual, and anonymous; users simply type in a question and wait about a second for a response. The tool is especially knowledgable about hormone therapy, gender-affirming care in general, and mental health resources for trans youth.
Alexander says his invention helps parents, guardians, and teachers be as supportive as possible to trans and gender-nonconforming kids facing a hostile world.
“As we’ve gotten involved in the global trans community, it’s become really clear that there are gaps in resources and support for trans children and families. I wanted to create something that could reach more people and span across different languages.” Alexander said in a statement. “I’m excited to be leveraging generative AI for this Chatbot to show how the technology can be used to benefit others and for a source of good. My hope is that this AI Chatbot will continue to grow and develop over time to support parents, children and allies, creating a deeper understanding and compassion for the LGBTQ+ community.”
The chatbot also displayed nuance when asked why trans youth face so much backlash today.
Click here to find out more about the Chatbot and here to check out the RUBIES line of swimwear, underwear, casual wear, and Price merchandise.
