Exploring the social transitioning experiences of gender diverse young people who were assigned male at birth

Introduction: The social transition is a key part of the transition process. This is especially the case for gender diverse youth who may be too young to access physical/medical interventions and for whom the social transition may be the only form of transitioning available. However, there is little research on gender differences in the social transitioning process for gender diverse youth. This study therefore aimed to explore the social transitioning experiences of gender diverse youth who were assigned male at birth.

Method: Six participants, aged 16-18, were assigned male at birth, and at any stage of their social transition, took part in semi-structured interviews exploring their social transitions. This was then analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

Results: Three main experiences associated with the social transition were found. The ‘me vs the world’ theme captures the participants’ marginalised experiences living in a cis-heteronormative society, which involved a strong sense of restriction and lack of acceptance from others. The ‘self-empowerment and taking control’ theme encapsulates the participants’ attempts to rise above the difficult experiences. This was achieved through a conscious choice to blend or be out, being politically active, reframing the transphobia they experienced and breaking free from the gender norms they had initially felt so restricted by. The ‘building a new identity – who is the new me?’ theme reflects the process of exploration and experimentation the participants went through in their social transitions. Transitions were generally seen as an exciting new beginning, and were related to fluid gender expressions. Self-loathing and self-criticism were also noted, which led to an interaction between the social and physical/medical transition.

Discussion: The participants’ experiences were understood within the context of identity formation theories, minority stress models and intersectionality. The study’s clinical implications on how services can better support the social transitions of gender diverse young people who were assigned male at birth are discussed. The study’s strengths and limitations are acknowledged, and directions for future research are also examined.