Intersectional perspectives of parents of transgender children in Aotearoa (New Zealand)

Abstract

Introduction This article explores the intersectional perspectives of parents of transgender children in Aotearoa (New Zealand). The substantial body of research on parent experiences in this area has largely focused on parents who are white North American middle-class cisgender women. We seek to extend this research by taking an intersectional approach and examining the perspectives of a group of participants of different genders, sexual orientations, and cultural backgrounds. Methods We asked 20 participants in Aotearoa who self-identified as gender-affirming parents to draw their experience of parenting a transgender child and discuss this with us in interview. Results The research resulted in rich visual and verbal depictions of gender-affirming parenting, drawing from the intersectional perspectives of Māori, Pākehā, Pacific, Asian, queer, straight, female, male and non-binary parents. Using visual and verbal discourse analysis, we explore how the participants constructed their experience from their uniquely situated perspectives, both specific and multilayered. Conclusion We argue that the parents’ perspectives reveal both challenges and strengths, reflecting the burdens of intersectional oppression, while also fostering the parents’ capacity for engaging in discursive resistance to advance their children’s interests.

Decolonising trans‐affirming language in Aotearoa

“…In the trans-affirming space, the rediscovery and celebration of the term takatāpui is one example of linguistic decolonisation. In my research with parents of trans children in Aotearoa, I also heard Māori and Pacific parents using decolonising discourses to affirm their children's gender (de Bres & Morrison-Young, 2024). A takatāpui mother of a trans teen observed that:…”