When the context rows against. Voicing parents of transgender children and teenagers in Italy: A qualitative study

Having a supportive family with a non-binary vision of gender differences is a protective factor for transgender and gender-variant (TGV) children and teenagers, however the parents of TGV children find themselves alone when dealing with doubts and challenges, and this may hamper their capacity to provide support to their children. This study aimed to map/describe the needs of the parents of TGV children in Italy, their relationship with the health care and educational systems, and how they cope with the challenges of the context they live in. We used a qualitative approach based on thematic interviews with respondent validation, involving thirteen parents of TGV children and teenagers. Our participants reported difficulties in accessing information, obstacles in finding adequate support from mental health professionals and in interactions with educational professionals, recognizing that these challenges are strongly embedded in the Italian socio-cultural context and its widespread homobitransphobic culture. Nevertheless, they are personally committed to changing this situation through advocacy and affirmative action for their children, engaged in knowledge production on gender variance, and with parent support groups.