Discovering gender and coming out: The gender identity journeys and coming out stories of transgender and gender expansive youth

Abstract

This manuscript is a part of a four-part series that presents findings from the first known Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study of how nine transgender and/or gender expansive youth, aged 13–17, experienced their genders and additional intersecting identities. This manuscript presents the superordinate theme and various sub-themes around the participants’ gender identity journeys and coming out processes, including various contextual factors. This collection of themes provides a nuanced look into the complex lives of transgender and gender expansive youth not before explored within the literature through this methodology.

Keywords:

• Coming out
• gender expansive
• gender identity
• interpretative phenomenological analysis
• transgender
• youth

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to report.