At the Margins: Comparing School Experiences of Nonbinary and Binary-Identified Transgender Youth

Transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming (TNG) young people are a diverse group, including young people with gender identities beyond the gender binary. Whereas nonbinary youth experience disparities in victimization and mental health, school belonging, support, and resources have not been well described.

We conducted an online survey of TNG young people (ages 12-22) in Wisconsin to assess school belonging, safety, support, and resources. We compared responses among participants with nonbinary versus binary identities using mulvariate analysis of variance, multivariate analysis of covariance, chi-square and logistic regression analysis.

A total of 287 TNG young people met inclusion criteria (average age 18.2 ± 2.5 years). More than 40% of participants identified as nonbinary. Nonbinary participants were less likely to be out to teachers, but more likely to utilize supportive staff as a resource compared to binary-identified TNG peers. There were no significant differences in school safety and belonging.

Most school experiences do not vary significantly between TNG young people with binary versus nonbinary gender identities, though nonbinary young people are less likely to be out at school. Future research should examine factors that impact whether nonbinary young people share their gender identity and access school support services.