Transmasculine Parenting: Beyond a Gendered Fatherhood

Background and Purpose:

While the majority of research and discussion around fatherhood focuses on cisgender men, people of all gender identities may currently be parents, or may be considering parenting in the future. Between one fourth and one half of transgender/gender-non-conforming (GNC) individuals in the United States report being parents (Stozer, Herman, & Hasenbush, 2014). As such, it is important that the concept of father be expanded beyond the existing gendered definition. This study examines aspects of transmasculine parenting, including the likelihood of individuals who were assigned a female gender at birth but now identify as masculine – AFAB transmasculine, being parents, sociodemographic characteristics which are associated with the likelihood of being a parent, and the prevalence of family experiences shaped by being an AFAB-transmasculine parent.

Methods:

The study uses secondary data analysis of data from the 2010 National Transgender Discrimination Survey (N=6,456), which were collected by National Center for Trans Equality and the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force. Three analyses were conducted: 1) a bivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine differences in the likelihood of being a parent, comparing individuals identifying as AFAB-transmasculine (reference category) with respondents with other transgender/GNC identities, 2) a multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine sociodemographic differences (e.g., race/ethnicity, age, income) associated with differences in likelihood of being a parent among AFAB-transmasculine respondents, and 3) rates of transgender/GNC-specific parenting experiences (e.g., family rejection, custody disputes) were examined among AFAB-transmasculine parents.

Results:

Seventeen percent (n=239) of respondents who were AFAB and who identified on the transmasculine spectrum were parents. AFAB-transmasculine respondents were no more or less likely to be parents than other AFAB respondents (AFAB-transfeminine or AFAB-genderqueer), but were less likely to be parents than those respondents who were assigned a male gender at birth, regardless of current gender identification. Sociodemographic characteristics associated with an increased likelihood of being a parent among AFAB-transmasculine respondents included being African American/Black (OR = 3.16, p< 0.05) or bi-/multi-racial (OR = 1.67, p < 0.05), earning an income of $100,000 or more annually (OR = 1.22, p < 0.05), being married, partnered, or in a civil union (OR = 3.19, p < 0.05), and having a physical disability (OR = 1.68, p < 0.05). Ten percent of AFAB-transmasculine respondents reported rejection from their children, while 20% reported being denied contacted with their children by an ex-partner.

Conclusion and Implications:

For researchers and practitioners, assumptions that fatherhood is a necessarily gendered experience can play a role in continuing to keep parenting by transgender/GNC individuals invisible. As transgender/GNC people gain visibility in society, overlooking this community misses an opportunity to question our socially constructed assumptions about the gendered nature of parenting. This study expands the concept of fatherhood by illuminating the characteristics and experiences of AFAB-transmasculine fathers. As recognition of AFAB-transmasculine parents grows, social workers have new opportunities to develop and provide supports to these parents and their families.

References:

Stozer, R.L., Herman, J.L. & Hasenbush, A. (2014). Transgender parenting: A review of existing research. Los Angeles: The Williams Institute.