Talking with Iranian trans men: Their experiences and identity development

Abstract

Introduction

This research sought to discover the psychosocial experiences of trans men born and raised in Iran, including the cultural surround unique to Iran.

Method

Fifteen trans men aged from 20 to 35 narrated their lives through in-depth individual interviews. We applied Corbin and Straus’s (2015) approach to analyze the data in developing a Grounded Theory.

Results

Confusing Gender Identity (Core Theme) and eleven other themes, divided into (Macro/Micro) Contextual factors, Actions/Interactions, and Consequences, depicting the structures and processes in trans men’s lives. Escalations of Dysphoria within family structure and Traumatic Backgrounds represent Micro-contextual factors; Masculine Superiority and Feminine Gender Taboo are Macro-contextual factors; Insecurity in Emotional Relationships, Social Insecurity, Feminine Inferiority, Masculine Gender Envy, Discordant Self-image, and Unsupportive Systems are the Actions/Interactions, and Gray Fortunes represent Consequences. A Grounded Theory is developed from these findings that comprehensively represent the relational themes.

Conclusion

The findings clarify the contextual factors affecting Iranian trans men’s lives. They could be applied to improve the overall health of this population. As most studies and theories regarding the transgender population emanate from Western cultures, this research provides a new and comprehensive understanding of trans men’s psychological/social experiences in a unique cultural and political climate.

Keywords:

• Iranian trans men
• qualitative research
• gender dysphoria
• transgender studies
• trans man

Ethics statement

This research was reviewed and approved ethically by Tarbiat Modares University (Iran) and the University of British Columbia (Canada).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, Dr. Parviz Azadfallah. The data are not publicly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Notes

1 All the names used in this manuscript are pseudonyms.

2 Having a boyfriend is usually not accepted in Iranian families.

3 SCL-90 measures the level of symptoms that have occurred during a week’s time period. This questionnaire aims to assess the severity and type of symptoms through self-assessment, with eight sub-scales (Anxiety, Agoraphobia, Depression, Somatization, Obsessively-Compulsive, Sensitivity, Hostility, and Depressive Symptoms, and sleeping problems) as well as a total score.