Co-transitions: Understanding the ways couples navigate gender transition together

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Gender transition is often viewed individually, yet frequently occurs within romantic relationships.
• The impact of a partner's gender transition on established romantic relationships is a critical area of study.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of couples who maintained their romantic relationships after one partner's gender transition.
• To identify common themes and challenges faced by these couples.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving twelve couples.
• Interviews conducted individually and as a dyad to gather comprehensive relationship dynamics.

Main Results:

• Emergent themes include initial grief, relationship ambiguity, and identity exploration for cisgender partners.
• Cisgender partners re-examined sexual orientation and intimacy perceptions.
• Relationship stabilization was identified as a key phase where couples affirmed relationship survival.

Conclusions:

• Findings offer valuable insights for transgender families, therapists, and researchers.
• The study highlights the complex relational dynamics during and after gender transition.