Sissies, Mama's Boys, and Tomboys: Is Children's Gender Nonconformity More Acceptable When Nonconforming Traits Are Positive?

The evaluation of gender nonconformity in children was examined in two studies. In Study 1, 48 young adults evaluated the positivity of culturally popular labels for gender nonconformity, including "tomboy," "sissy," and two new labels generated in a pilot study, "mama's boy" and "brat." The "mama's boy" was described as a boy who has positive feminine traits (gentle and well-mannered) as opposed to the "sissy" who was described as having negative feminine traits (crying and easily frightened). 

In Study 2, 161 young adults read descriptions of gender-typical and nonconforming children, evaluating them in several domains. The label "mama's boy" was considered negative in Study 1 but an unlabeled positive nonconforming boy was rated as likable and competent in Study 2. However, participants worried about nonconforming boys, saying they would encourage them to behave differently and describing such children with derogatory sexual orientation slurs. "Tomboy" was generally considered a positive label in Study 1. 

In Study 2, gender nonconforming girls were considered neither likable nor dislikeable, and neither competent nor incompetent, reflecting ambivalence about girls' nonconformity. It may be that we use gender nonconformity labels as indicators of sexual orientation, even in young children. Therefore, even when an individual displays objectively positive traits, the stigma associated with homosexuality taints judgments about their nonconforming behavior.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/0Fru11

By:  Coyle EF1, Fulcher M2, Trübutschek D3,4,5.

• 1Department of Psychology, Beloit College, 700 College Street, Beloit, WI, 53511, USA. emilyfcoyle@gmail.com.
• 2Department of Psychology, Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA, USA.
• 3Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, Gif/Yvette, France.
• 4Ecole des Neurosciences de Paris Ile-de-France, Paris, France.
• 5Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France.
• Arch Sex Behav. 2016 Mar 7. 

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Transgender Men and Pregnancy

Transgender people have experienced significant advances in societal acceptance despite experiencing continued stigma and discrimination. While it can still be difficult to access quality health care, and there is a great deal to be done to create affirming health care organizations, there is growing interest around the United States in advancing transgender health. 

The focus of this commentary is to provide guidance to clinicians caring for transgender men or other gender nonconforming people who are contemplating, carrying, or have completed a pregnancy. Terms transgender and gender nonconforming specifically refer to those whose gender identity (e.g., being a man) differs from their female sex assigned at birth. Many, if not most transgender men retain their female reproductive organs and retain the capacity to have children. 

Review of their experience demonstrates the need for preconception counseling that includes discussion of stopping testosterone while trying to conceive and during pregnancy, and anticipating increasing experiences of gender dysphoria during and after pregnancy. The clinical aspects of delivery itself fall within the realm of routine obstetrical care, although further research is needed into how mode and environment of delivery may affect gender dysphoria. Postpartum considerations include discussion of options for chest (breast) feeding, and how and when to reinitiate testosterone. 

A positive perinatal experience begins from the moment transgender men first present for care and depends on comprehensive affirmation of gender diversity.

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/Fo1LMb

By:  Juno Obedin-Maliver1,2 and Harvey J Makadon3,4

¹Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

²Department of Gynecology, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA

³National LGBT Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA

⁴Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Harvey J Makadon, National LGBT Health Education Center, The Fenway Institute, 1340 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, USA

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Victimization, Mental Health & Well-Being among Trans Youths in the Province of Quebec

Introduction 
Trans youths are more likely to experience negative social and parental reactions suggesting reprehension, from disapproving looks to physical violence. While victimization increases the likelihood of poor mental health outcomes, little is known about potential mediating factors between mental health and victimization. Self-esteem is one of the factors that may mediate the impact of homophobic victimization on mental health. Yet, data on trans youths are scarce.

Objectives 
The objectives of this paper are: 

1. to compare trans youths to cisgender heterosexual male and female youths regarding two different forms of victimization (victimization based on gender nonconformity and parental verbal abuse), self-esteem, and psychological distress, as well as 
2. to test a path model of the impact of these two forms of victimization on self-esteem and psychological distress.

Methods 
Data for this study are drawn from the Quebec Youths' Romantic Relationships survey. Data were collected among youth aged 14 to 22 years old recruited either in schools or online. Thirty-seven participants endorsed being trans or questioning their gender identity. They were paired to 74 cisgender heterosexual youths (37 male and 37 female) using propensity scores based on socio-demographic characteristics.

Results 
Results showed that verbal parental abuse and victimization based on gender nonconformity were more prevalent among trans participants. Parental verbal abuse and victimization based on gender nonconformity were both directly and negatively associated with self-esteem (explained variance: 36%). Sexual status explains 19.6% of the variance of parental victimization and 50.6% of the variance of victimization on the basis of gender nonconformity. A higher self-esteem was associated with decreased psychological distress (explained variance: 66.9%). Moreover, parental verbal abuse was also directly associated with higher psychological distress. Although there was no direct relationship between trans status and psychological distress and self-esteem, its total indirect effects on these two indicators of mental health and wellbeing status were significant (p-value < 0.001), suggesting that the impact of sexual status on them is mediated by the victimization.

Conclusion 
This study showed the high vulnerability of trans youths to poor mental health and wellbeing outcomes because of the victimization they experience. The results highlight the importance of preventing victimization based on sexual-minority status and to educate people, including parents, to sexual and gender diversity.

Purchase full article [Article in French] at: 

By:  Raymond G1, Blais M2, Bergeron FA2, Hébert M2.

• 1Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
• 2Département de sexologie, Université du Québec à Montréal.
• Sante Ment Que. 2015 Fall;40(3):77-92. 

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health

Gender Nonconformity and Butch-Femme Identity among Lesbians in China

Previous studies have indicated that the butch-femme identities of lesbian women are related to gender roles (e.g., instrumentality and expressiveness). 

This study examined the association between butch and femme lesbian identities and gender nonconformity in both childhood (Study 1: 434 lesbian women and 230 heterosexual women) and adulthood (Study 2: 207 lesbian women and 342 heterosexual women) among women in China. In Study 1 (97 femmes, 76 androgynous women, and 264 butches), butches recalled more childhood gender nonconformity (CGN) than did femmes, androgynous, and heterosexual women, and androgynous women recalled more CGN than did heterosexual women. 

In Study 2 (43 femmes, 44 androgynous women, and 120 butches), butches reported more adulthood gender nonconformity (AGN) based on a "people-thing" dimension of interests than did femmes and heterosexual women, and androgynous women reported preferring more masculine hobbies than did femmes or heterosexual women. There was no significant difference in CGN and AGN between femmes and heterosexual women. 

These results indicate that femmes are quite similar to heterosexual women with regard to CGN and AGN, thus providing an important extension of previous studies based on a Chinese sample.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/c9g8IC

By:  Zheng L1,2, Zheng Y1,2.

• 1 Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Southwest University , Ministry of Education , Chongqing , China.
• 2 Faculty of Psychology , Southwest University , Chongqing , China.
• J Sex Res. 2016 Feb;53(2):186-93. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2015.1058890. Epub 2015 Oct 12. 

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health