Growing up outside the lines: Experiences of gender among FTM transgender youth

Transgender youth are a misunderstood and vulnerable population, at high risk for drug use, homelessness, violence, sex work, and suicide. In order to provide the health care and emotional support these youth need, we need to understand how they construct their genders and how this affects their unique developmental trajectory. This study focuses on individuals who are biologically female but do not identify as female, commonly referred to as female to male or FTM. This study aims to understand the process over time by which FTM transgender youth come to identify as transgender. Thirteen self-identified FTM transgender youth, ages 18-23 were recruited through an LGBT-youth oriented clinic in San Francisco. Data collection consisted of a single in-depth open-ended interview lasting 1-2 hours. These interviews were analyzed using grounded theory. A model was created to exemplify the process that youth go through in coming to identify as transgender. School experiences, puberty, sexuality, and exposure to diverse gender options impact each youth's sense of his own gender. At various points in the trajectory of childhood and adolescence, a youth begins to actively think about his gender, before eventually identifying himself as something other than female. After becoming aware of himself as transgender, he embarks on ongoing processes of identity exploration and social adjustment. This model can help medical and mental health providers, families and teachers better understand the needs of transgender youth and provide appropriate health care and emotional support.