Resilience among transgender adults who identify as genderqueer: Implications for health and mental health treatment

This qualitative study describes and analyzes the experiences of 10 self-identified genderqueer individuals or people who express their gender and sexuality fluidly. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted for each participant over the course of two years. Interviews were transcribed and coded using a Grounded Theory approach. Results indicated that in the face of societal pressures, genderqueer individuals embraced their identities, demonstrating resilience. Eco-systemic factors which contributed to their resiliency such as individual, relational, community and societal responses are discussed. Their resilience provides medical and mental health clinicians insight into protective and risk factors from which to develop better intervention tools, and reminds families, communities and society at large about the spectrum of humanity. A new theory of gender and sexuality must take both fluidity and resiliency into account.