"You'd Better Get in There and Be the Advocate": Parents of Gender Nonconforming Children's Perspectives on Support
Abstract
In this project parents of gender nonconforming children shared their perspectives on finding emotional support for themselves and their family. Ten women-identified mothers participated in semi-structured interviews via online chat or phone. Three research questions produced eight categories, each with multiple themes which illustrate these parents' experience. Main findings include the centrality of the internet in a parent's search for support, the importance of community, advocacy efforts of parents to support their child and other families, and both personal and professional qualities that are characteristic of supportive people. From reflections on what has been most helpful to these participants, clinical implications are discussed to provide family therapists with direction to better support parents of gender nonconforming children.