Parents of Transgender Youth: Their Experiences During Their Child's Social Transition Process

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions and experiences of parents during their transgender child’s social transition process and to describe facilitators and inhibitors of building parental support during this process. The social transition process is a timeframe during which transgender individuals align their gender expression with their gender identity through their name, pronouns, clothing, and/or hairstyle. Transgender youth are at increased risk for poor mental health outcomes in comparison to their cisgender peers. However, transgender youth who undergo social transition process have been shown to have improved outcomes. Additionally, parental support has been shown to be a protective factor in this population. Yet, there are currently gaps in literature regarding social transition process and parental perceptions during this time. Better understanding social transition process and parental perceptions surrounding it will aid in intervention development aimed at improving outcomes for transgender youth. This study utilized qualitative descriptive design via semi-structured interviews with six parents of transgender youth whose children have experienced the social transition process. In alignment with study aims and theoretical underpinnings of Meleis’ Transition Theory, resulting themes from interviews were categorized as either inhibitory, faciliatory or an outcome to facilitating parents’ felt capacity to support their transgender children during social transition process. Inhibitors to parents’ felt capacity to support their transgender children during social transition process included fear, lack of support, grappling with understanding distinctions between their child’s gender identity and their sexual orientation, and an intolerant sociopolitical climate. Facilitators of parents’ felt capacity to support their transgender children during social transition process included presence of support, witnessing the child’s joy in/affirmation of their chosen gender, and allowing child to lead the way. Parents described the positive outcomes of involvement in their child’s social transition process as increased affirmation of, advocacy for and de-stigmatization of their transgender child, and parents linked these positive outcomes to previously listed facilitators. This study begins to fill a gap in the literature regarding parents’ ability to support their transgender children through the social transition process and highlights several specific opportunities for additional research with transgender youth and their parents.