title: Being transgender: the experience of transgender identity development.
abstract: This article is based on a grounded theory analysis of interviews with transgender-identified people from different regions of the United States. Participants held a variety of gender identities under the transgender rubric (e.g., crossdresser, transman, transwoman, butch lesbian). Interviews explored the participants' experiences in arriving at their gender identity. This article presents three clusters of findings related to the common processes of transgender identity development. This process was made possible by accessibility of transgender narratives that injected hope into what was a childhood replete with criticism and scrutiny. Ultimately, participants came to their identities through balancing a desire for authenticity with demands of necessity--meaning that they weighed their internal gender experience with considerations about their available resources, coping skills, and the consequences of gender transitions. The implications of these findings are considered in terms of their contribution to gender theory, research, and clinical support for transgender clients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Massachusetts Boston , Boston , Massachusetts , USA.
authors.forename: Heidi M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Levitt
authors.forename: Maria R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ippolito
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States
keywords: gender; gender identity development; grounded theory; identity; qualitative; transgender