Minority joy, minority growth, and minority peace: Transgender and gender diverse people’s varied positive lived experiences

Matilda Wurm, Tove Lundberg, Theodor Mejias Nihlén, Anna Malmquist

Forskningsoutput: TidskriftsbidragArtikel i vetenskaplig tidskriftPeer review

Sammanfattning

Background: Compared to negative experiences and ill health, little attention has been paidto positive experiences connected to being transgender and gender diverse (TGD).Aim: The aim of the current study was to explore TGD people’s positive experiences in depth.Methods: In total, 33 TGD people were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexivethematic analysis.Results: Results show that participants had various positive experiences related to theirgender identity. While some of these experiences can be conceptualized as “minority joy,”capturing experiences evoking happy emotions, others are better understood as “minoritygrowth”—a personal development and sense of authenticity—and “minority peace”—a senseof comfortability and calmness. The emotional valence of experiences was further exploredto better understand the themes.Discussion: In line with earlier research, some of the positive experiences could be seen asbuffers between stressors and ill health and some were clearly connected to experiencingstressors. However, some experiences were freestanding from stressors and positive in theirown right. The results of this study give an alternative to the prevailing view of TGDexperiences necessarily connected to suffering. The results are relevant for professionalsmeeting TGD people, since a focus on strengths and positive aspects could be an important,but previously under focused tool to improve general health and quality of life. It may givehope to TGD people themselves, who are often presented with the trope of the suffering TGDperson. Not the least, results could inform general society and policy makers.
Originalspråkengelska
Sidor (från-till)1-16
Antal sidor16
TidskriftInternational Journal of Transgender Health
DOI
StatusPublished - 2024 dec. 27

Ämnesklassifikation (UKÄ)

  • Psykologi (exklusive tillämpad psykologi)

Fria nyckelord

  • minority joy
  • minority growth
  • minority peace
  • wellbeing
  • transgender
  • TGD
  • quality of life
  • gender affirming care
  • reflexive thematic analysis
  • resilience
  • trans jou

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