TRANSforming Conversations: Addressing Needs of Transgender Youth and Their Families

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https://learn.extension.org/events/3009

This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military

Family Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Number 2015-48770-24368.

TRANSforming Conversations: Addressing Needs

of Transgender Youth and Their Families

Connecting military family service providers

and Cooperative Extension professionals to research

and to each other through engaging online learning opportunities

militaryfamilies.extension.org

MFLN Intro

Sign up for webinar email notifications at militaryfamilies.extension.org/webinars

Today’s Presenter

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Jenifer McGuire, PhD

• Associate Professor of Family Social Science

at University of Minnesota

• Areas of interest include: parent relationships

for sexual and gender minority youth, parent

socialization of adolescent sexuality, well-being

of sexual and gender minority youth, and

parenting across family transitions

• Member of Parent’s Forever and a developing

coalition for Sexual and Gender (SGM) youth

well-being

What Do We Know?

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Society

Policy

Community

Family, Friends,

Neighbors

Child

Mediators

• Something is considered a mediator to the

extent that it accounts for the relationship

between a predictor (being Trans) and an

outcome (anxiety, depression, etc.)

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Trans Youth-Mediators

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Policy

Family, Friends,

Neighbors

Mediator-Parenting

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Child

Anxiety Depression

Suicide

Supportive Parenting

School Bullying Teasing

Mediator-Parenting

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Child

Anxiety Depression

Suicide

Supportive Parenting

School Bullying Teasing

Mediator-Parenting

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Child

Anxiety Depression

Suicide

Supportive Parenting

School Bullying Teasing

Mediator-Policies

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Homeless Shelters

HarassmentAssault

Social Transition Bathrooms

Inclusive School Policies

Child

AnxietySelf Esteem

Academics

Depression

Mediator-Policies

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Homeless Shelters

HarassmentAssault

Social TransitionBathrooms

Inclusive School Policies

Child

Anxiety

Self EsteemAcademics

Depression

Mediator-Policies

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Homeless Shelters

Harassment

Assault

Social TransitionBathrooms

Inclusive School Policies

Child

Anxiety

Self EsteemAcademics

Depression

Family Relationships are Key

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https://pixabay.com/en/key-heart-love-for-two-marry-2094778/

Supporting Family Acceptance and

Promoting Resilience

• Family rejection is harmful (Minter, 2012; Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, Sanchez,

2009)

• Parent support linked to better outcomes(Soleman, et al., 2013, Brill and Pepper, 2008)

• Being forced out of the home linked to

additional risks for transgender youth(Koken, Bimbi, Parsons, 2009; Grossman &

D’Augelli, 2006)

• Loss associated with anxiety and

depression(Budge, Adelson, and Howard, 2013)

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https://pixabay.com/en/desperate-sad-depressed-cry-2100307/

Ambiguous Loss

• Psychological change (loss)

• Physical change (loss)

• Ambiguous nature of one

without the other

• View of loss linked to

cisnormative societal

expectations

• Relational Rupture

• Resiliency

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https://pixabay.com/en/question-mark-mind-colorful-1456854/

Family Contexts

• Most gender variant youth are born to

cisgender, heterosexual parents (who

may have little understanding of gender

variance)

• Support all parents in supporting their

children

• Parents also navigate relations with

extended family members and siblings

• Support family members in developing

acceptance

• How to support Trans* persons who may

be struggling with family acceptance

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https://pixabay.com/en/watercolor-painting-colorful-color-1996538/

Psychological Change

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Flickr[Jeffrey Smith, May 8, 2010, CCO]

Flickr[Stephen Weppler, July 3, 2011, CCO]

Flickr[Tim Evanson, June 9, 2012, CCO

Physical Change

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https://lexiecannes.com/2013/06/19/hormone-blockers-safe-for-transgender-kids-says-new-study/

One Without the Other

• Someone may look different but seem the same inside

• Someone may look sort of the same but seem

psychologically changed –relieved

• “I felt like I got my kid back”

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https://pixabay.com/en/freedom-sky-hands-handcuffs-clouds-1886402/

Relational Rupture

• Relations are changed with

an ambiguous loss

• Relating with a new gender

schema

• Loss of attachments due to

family rejection

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http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/11/20/yes-we-still-need-a-transgender-day-of-remembrance-and-resilience.html

https://pixabay.com/en/heart-broken-heart-separation-1966018/

Relationship “Break”

• Parental support is not stagnant

• Can be a break in instrumental or emotional

support

• Must be at least partially related to the

gender expression/identity of the participant

• Half (n=39) reported a break

21http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/2015/07/transgender-youths-show-hardship-resilience/#5

https://pixabay.com/en/rope-nature-dew-736456/

When Relationships Rupture

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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Depression

Self-harm/mutilation

Suicidal ideation

Drugs

Drugs and driving

Transactional sex

Suicide attempts

MH Hospitalization

Physical fights

Carrying a weapon

Yes No

Resiliency

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https://pixabay.com/en/wall-brick-urban-colors-gay-1345566/

An ambiguous loss frame provides a blueprint for

developing resilient responses including:

-Negotiating ambivalence

-Finding pathways to reconciliation

-Redefining parent child roles

Negotiating Ambivalence

• Pathways to

reconciliation

• Redefining parent-child

roles

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https://pixabay.com/en/walking-feet-gravel-path-shoes-349991/

Pathways to Reconciliation

• Thwarted attempts to

reconcile

• Life events

• Extended family

involvement

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https://pixabay.com/en/adult-blur-close-up-dawn-fall-1868652/

Redefining Parent/Child Roles

• Change in power dynamics

• Coming to terms with

mental illness

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https://pixabay.com/en/silhouette-father-and-son-sundown-1082129/

Ambiguous Loss as a Frame

• Provides language for

common narratives

• Supports reconciliation

and meaning making

• Suggests pathways

towards resilience

• Allows for continuing

development

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https://pixabay.com/en/blurry-street-people-city-travel-2073696/

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militaryfamilies.extension.org/webinars

32This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family

Readiness Policy, U.S. Department of Defense under Award Number 2015-48770-24368.