Purpose: Romantic relationships are a powerful and understudied contributor to the health of LGBTQ young people. These relationships may provide health-enhancing social support, while relationship conflict and abuse can have negative health consequences. However, there is little research on transgender and non-binary young adults’ experiences with supportive and/or problematic relationships.

Methods: We used a template organizing style to double-code and thematically analyze data from qualitative in-depth interviews with 30 transgender and non-binary young adults, ages 18-28 years, in New England (transgender women: n=8, transgender men: n=5, non-binary: n=17; people of color: n=12).

Results: We identified three preliminary themes. (1) Romantic partners were crucial in affirming participants’ gender identities and expression, while less-affirming partner behavior was often associated with partners’ uncertainty about their own gender or sexual orientation identities. (2) Although few participants discussed explicit gender-based denigration by partners, some participants reported relationship power imbalances based on a perceived scarcity of alternate partners who would accept and affirm their gender identity. Some participants reported that these power dynamics influenced decisions to remain in relationships that posed sexual and mental health risks. (3) Relationship power imbalances were most pronounced when participants anticipated discrimination from other prospective partners based on other characteristics, notably race/ethnicity and physical appearance.

Conclusions: Public health interventions to support transgender and non-binary young adults’ development and health must account for the crucial role of romantic relationships, and the ways they are shaped by intersecting forms of stigma and discrimination.