Reaching internal consensus: Decision-making by transgender and plural people

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Limited research exists on internal decision-making for transgender and plural individuals.
• Existing literature on plural decision-making does not address transgender identity intersectionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore decision-making processes among transgender and plural individuals.
• To understand how transgender and plural individuals navigate gender identity and affirming care decisions.

Main Methods:

• Community-based participatory research design.
• Thematic analysis of interviews with 15 transgender and plural participants.
• Non-pathologizing lens applied throughout the research.

Main Results:

• Three themes emerged: conflict context, collective decision-making, and harmony-promoting solutions.
• Transgender and plural participants successfully navigated decisions on gender identity, presentation, and medical care.
• Identified effective strategies for managing harmful societal narratives.

Conclusions:

• Transgender and plural individuals demonstrate capacity for autonomous and informed decision-making.
• Clinicians can improve support by understanding unique decision-making dynamics.
• Recommendations provided to enhance affirming care for transgender and plural clients.