Parent experiences of a child’s social transition: Moving beyond the loss narrative

When a child transitions from one gender to another, parents play a key role in facilitating the process within the family and in the larger social community. This study presents findings from eight parents who facilitated the social transition of their children aged 4–12. Overall, parents reported a process of making meaning of their child’s gender identity in three realms: individually, relationally, and socially. These processes unfolded within the context of a cultural discourse that values gender conformity and positions transgender identity as akin to loss within a family system.