Research Looks at Public Opinion on Transgender Parents

Being a transgender person on a parenting journey can be full of unique concerns. One thing that can be nerve-wracking is worrying about what people are thinking about your family. Feeling safe and respected are key issues for many trans families. So what is the general population’s outlook on transgender families? Looking at a public opinion survey conducted by researchers, the level of acceptance of transgender parenting they found may surprise you.

 In 2016, researchers saw a rise in social acceptance of LGB parents and wanted to know if that increased understanding extended to the transgender community. These researchers conducted a survey of 986 non-transgender people, funding that the majority of respondents agreed with the statement: “Doctors should be able to help transgender people have biological children.” This approval was expressed by 76.2% of the participants, and another 14% were neutral to the statement. This means that 90% of survey respondents were not opposed to medical support for transgender parents having biological children.

Looking at the 9% who were opposed to medical support for transgender parents, most of those respondents shared that they were worried about the wellbeing of children who would be born into those situations. These respondents came from more traditionally conservative demographics. (More progressive demographics, such as atheists/agnostics, the young, and Democrats were more likely to support the statement.)

From respondents of the survey, there was reduced support of transgender teens having access to fertility supports such as fertility preservation before starting GAHT, when compared to support of adults having access to the same procedures. Respondents shared a belief that young people are not yet old enough to make irreversible reproductive choices. This implies a misunderstanding of fertility services and transition options available to transgender youth, and perhaps this number would improve with the right education.

This study shows that there is an ever-growing acceptance of transgender parents in general American society. This level of comfort will only increase as society has access to accurate information about transgender and gender nonconforming families. That is one of the many reasons Trans Fertility Co. strives to share the amazing stories of transgender parents and families.