{"id":43682,"date":"2026-02-27T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/?p=43682"},"modified":"2026-02-26T21:07:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T02:07:13","slug":"transhearts-dayton-aims-to-empower-people-with-safety-and-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sinclairclarion.com\/home\/local\/2026\/02\/27\/transhearts-dayton-aims-to-empower-people-with-safety-and-support\/","title":{"rendered":"TransHearts Dayton aims to empower people with safety and support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TransHearts was established in Dayton in January as a support group for transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals<\/a>. The founder, Sabrina Ray, has firsthand experience with the process of finding resources as a trans woman, and wants to make the path easier for other community members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray grew up in a rural part of Darke County where there were rigid expectations of masculinity and femininity. She recalls hearing adults gossip about \u201ccross-dressers\u201d and questioning why it mattered.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sabrina Ray, founder of TransHearts Dayton.<\/strong> CONTRIBUTED<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI never really understood it, because I\u2019m like, they\u2019re just a person dressing how they want,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s the big deal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray\u2019s early transition started as a spiritual experience after being baptized at 15 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always remember people telling me, \u2018Once you get baptized your eyes open to the greater world,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cAnd my eyes did open. Not to the degree that they wanted, though, which was that, \u2018Oh, this doesn\u2019t really make sense. Why are we being hateful to these people? There\u2019s nothing in the book about these people. Why are we treating people this way?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This led her to dive into spiritual studies from a multitude of traditions across the globe, which helped her build confidence in her own connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving that spiritual connection really helped me, because that almost emboldens me in a way,\u201d she said. \u201cI have my relationship with the universe, and the universe is telling me I\u2019m doing pretty damn good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until she moved to Dayton that Ray had her \u201ca-ha moment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m trans, and this is the thing I\u2019ve been dealing with my whole life,\u201d she said of her realization. \u201cAnd I had to do it all in secret because of my family not being super supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray said she was fortunate to have employment, insurance, an affirming therapist and supportive friends, but knew that not everyone would have this experience. She enjoyed the existing support groups in Dayton<\/a>, but felt there needed to be a different approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creation of TransHearts was catalyzed in part by the death of a local community member, Abi Bean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was something that really stuck to me,\u201d Ray said. \u201cI don\u2019t know, firstly, if she would have come to this group. I don\u2019t know if she would have come to this group, if she would have talked about the struggle she was going through. But I just think about those people who are struggling and need that support.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Abi Bean, a community member who passed away in 2025. <\/strong>INSTAGRAM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ray stressed that TransHearts is not a replacement for therapy, but can provide a place to talk for people who do not have access to a therapist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both Ray and her fiancee, Nova, use their experience as Registered Behavior Technicians to inform how they run TransHearts, leaving groups on a positive note despite digging into heavy and possibly traumatic topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe do what\u2019s called an affirming checkout at the end of our session,\u201d Ray said. \u201cSo that can be something as simple as, \u2018Hey, what\u2019s something that happened since last meeting that was affirming to you? What\u2019s a win that you had? What\u2019s just a positive, what movie did you watch this week that you really liked?\u2019 That way we can come back down, we can deescalate a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first meeting of TransHearts<\/a> was on Feb. 5, and Ray said the community response has far surpassed her expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe overwhelming positivity and support I\u2019ve gotten across organizations, across individuals, literally blows me away,\u201d she said. \u201cI was so nervous about it, and to have so many people who email us, who message us on our social media, who are like, \u2018This is something we\u2019ve wanted in the area for a long time, and this is something that is very helpful.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray said safety is TransHearts\u2019 \u201cnumber one priority,\u201d even saying that at times she will \u201coverthink\u201d safety for group members. This includes both physical safety and digital confidentiality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this in mind, attendees can opt out of the sign-in sheet or write down any name they prefer, and the meeting\u2019s room number is not publicly released. The TransHearts website also includes an \u201cescape\u201d button that redirects to Google when clicked, and Ray said they do not collect any unnecessary data from visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We can’t afford to not be on the same page, and we can’t afford to not be there for each other.”<\/p>SABRINA RAY<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Outside of the group, Ray wants cisgender people to understand that \u201cwe\u2019re navigating this, too.\u201d She said the current political climate is \u201ctraumatic and exhausting,\u201d and that it\u2019s important for people with privilege to amplify trans voices. She said allies are often afraid of slipping up or misgendering people, but that doesn\u2019t mean they should stop trying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t expect you to become, like, Ph.D.-level trans allies, but we are kind of hoping you can help us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray said she hopes to see TransHearts grow and promote more unity in coming years, within the trans community and between all people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t really afford not to be on the same page, and we can\u2019t afford to not be there for each other,\u201d she said. \u201cMy biggest goal with the entire organization is community and bringing it together\u2026 That\u2019s the most important thing to me and what we\u2019re really pushing toward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Kichline, multimedia editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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