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Learning From the Parents of Young Gender-Diverse Children

Thu, April 11, 2:30 to 4:00pm, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Floor: Level 200, Exhibit Hall B

Abstract

We have learned from parents and teachers who are advocating for gender diverse young children. Utilizing material from an ongoing, cross national-mixed method study, this paper will describe 1) how U.S. parents of gender diverse young children describe and conceptualize their children’s early development and gender expression. Our purpose in this paper is to show young people's agency in developing their identities and illustrate richly, how children’s questions, concerns, and demand(s) about themselves shape parents' responses for advocacy. Through survey and detailed oral accounts (in-depth interviews), we show how parents understand their children’s development; responding uniquely to gender non-conformity. The data show how parents marshal support and create protective strategies within different (sometimes unaccepting) social milieu(s).

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