Research Article

Experiences of Parent-Advocates of Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Youth

Published: 2021-10-20

Journal: Journal of GLBT Family Studies

DOI: 10.1080/1550428x.2021.1902447

Abstract

Abstract There is a need for more research on the experiences of affirming parents of pre-adolescent transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) children. This study explores how parents conceptualized advocacy roles. Eleven parents of TGNC children age 13 and under completed semi-structured phone interviews. Ten parents considered themselves advocates, with digital advocacy being the most common. Advocacy motivations centered around parental concerns. Parents were divided on whether advocacy helped or had no impact on the parent-child relationship. The largest-shared concern was over the right to privacy. These findings have implications for mobilizing parents of TGNC youth as advocates. Keywords: Transgenderyouthgender non-conformingadvocacyparenting Acknowledgements We would like to thank Christina Cole, Sabrina Dixon, Deija Spencer, and Juliet Vapsva, who assisted with this research, and the parents who were willing to share their stories with us. Declaration of interest The authors have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that would have influenced the work reported in this paper. Notes 1 The term TGNC is used to be consistent with the general body of psychological literature. However, non-binary, gender-expansive, and gender-creative people also fall under this umbrella. Funding This work was supported by the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Grants-in-Aid program awarded to the first author, and the Salisbury University Office of Graduate Studies and Research. Domonique Bush is now at the University of New Haven.

Faculty Members

  • Michèle M. Schlehofer - Department of Psychology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, USA
  • Domonique Bush - Department of Psychology, Salisbury University, Salisbury, USA
  • Lori Cortez-Regan - Department of Sociology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, USA

Themes

  • Experiences of affirming parents
  • Advocacy roles of parents
  • Impact of advocacy on parent-child relationships
  • Privacy concerns for children
  • Transgender and gender non-conforming youth
  • Parental motivations for advocacy

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