WITHDRAWN: Resistance and Oppression: An Intersectional Investigation of the Diversity of Trans Youth Experience

Background and Purpose: Trans youth shows higher rates than non-trans youth of substance use or abuse, risky sexual practices, and suicide, among other negative life experiences. An emerging body of literature has begun to identify factors contributing to or hindering trans youth's well-being, but mostly through quantitative research. There is, however, a dearth of in-depth qualitative research investigating the interconnections of factors affecting their well-being, whether positively or negatively. This paper presents oppressive factors and structures that negatively influence trans youth well-being as well as the aspect that contributes to their resilience and thriving and discuss how oppression and resistance processes interact.

Methods: Qualitative research, combining Community-Based Participatory Action Research and Grounded Theory methodologies, was used, highlighting processual interactions between varied positive and negative factors affecting trans youth. The concepts of recognition (Honneth) and of intersectionality (Crenshaw) were used as sensitizing concepts, providing some theoretical orientation for the project. A total of 56 interviews were conducted.  The first 24 were obtained through unstructured interviews, followed by 32 semi-structured interviews with different youth of the same ages (15-25). For both stages, participants were recruited through one of the 8 partner organizations working with trans youth in the province of Quebec. Diversity and theoretical sampling were used to select participants.  The sample includes non-binary and binary trans youth, people on the feminine and masculine spectrum, of all ages within the range, and from different cultural backgrounds including indigenous, migrant and racialized youth, youth with disabilities, living independently, with parents, or within the child welfare system.  Data was analyzed through open, axial and selective coding assisted by MaxQDA software.

Results: Recognition (or lack of thereof) is pivotal in the many situations experienced by trans youth. Data reveals that they experience oppressions, mostly through lack of affirmation of their gender identity at many sites, but also violence, including within the health and social care services, the school environment, but also in their own families and within their own community at time.   Young people who experience strong affirmation by their caregivers better navigate external sources of oppressions but this support need not to only be material. Young people with limited family support continue to experience negative experience with their caregivers.  Race, citizenship status and gender expression amplify these experiences.  However, youth engage in many acts of resistance and show much resilience, especially when they feel the issue they face is shared by others.  Many strategies, ranging from individual to collective actions, are used to see concrete change happen.

Conclusions and implications: Quebec is considered to be progressive for transgender rights and care through formal protection against discrimination, yet participants’ face many negative experience.  Practice with trans youth must facilitate affirmation both within the family and in the different environments in context with youth (schools, psychosocial services, church, etc.), while also paying attention to the many possible social locations (race, gender, class, disability) as those directly affect experience.  Social Workers should also draw from empowering approach to support trans youth in collective mobilisation towards greater affirmation.