Parenting adolescents across the gender spectrum : the experience of parents whose adolescents identify as gender variant or transgender

Abstract

The study explored the understanding and meaning-making process of the parents whose adolescents identify as gender variant or transgender. This is considered to be an underresearched area since most research focuses on the experiences of the trans adolescent or adult. This qualitative study adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Approach and online interviews using Skype were conducted with each of the six parents living in the United Kingdom who have a gender variant adolescent aged between 14 and 19 years. The emerging themes unearthed the trans affirmative narratives of the six parents, as well as the complex interconnections between the parental individual experience with their social environment and the global movements around affirmation and/or rejection, and vice versa. From a systemic perspective, this bi-directional process suggests that parents of gender variant adolescents have a voice towards sustaining a social affirmative stance with respect to gender diversity. On the other hand, the findings also highlight the challenges that parents encountered and the importance of both informal and formal support from their peers and support services throughout their transition process. The findings were interpreted through a systemic conceptual framework, including a social constructionist and norm critical approach. This study emphasises that the more parents are open to diversity, and are critical of the dominant cisnormative discourse and gender norms, the better they would fare in their journey with their gender variant adolescent.