The experiences of sexual minority mothers with trans* children

Eight nonheterosexual (i.e., bisexual, lesbian, bi/pansexual) mothers with trans* children between 6 and 11 years of age participated in semistructured interviews in which they discussed the intersections of their own sexual minority identities with their children\u27s gender identities or expressions. Transfamily theory was utilized to understand how heteronormativity and cisnormativity operated in these families\u27 lives. Initial lack of awareness among most of the mothers regarding trans* identities, as well as efforts by some to curb their children\u27s gender expressions, paralleled previous reports on primarily heterosexual parents with trans* children. Having sexual minority identities and experience with LGBTQ communities was beneficial for some mothers but seemingly disadvantageous for others, in that some experienced blame for their children\u27s trans* statuses, often due to the fact that these mothers identified as queer themselves. Findings reveal complexities in how participants were influenced by heteronormativity and cisnormativity and have implications for those looking to learn more about queer parents\u27 experiences raising their trans* children