Abstract
This chapter focuses on cisgender parents of transgender children. It particularly problematises “loss” narratives, emphasising that feelings of “loss” relate to the context of cisgenderism and a loss of certitude, rather than relating to individual children themselves. After examining the previous literature that has explored the experience of cisgender parents of transgender children in the context of schools, the chapter draws on two data sets. The first is a survey of the experiences of Australian cisgender parents of transgender children, and the second is an analysis of first-person narratives in books published by and for parents of transgender children. The chapter examines both the positive and negative experiences that parents of transgender children have with schools, highlighting that schools which are proactive in developing and implementing inclusive policies and procedures are likely to provide the best educational experiences.
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We note that similar themes are discussed in Brill ’s more recent book The Transgender Teen (Brill and Kenney 2016), highlighting the continued use of a loss framing.
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Bartholomaeus, C., Riggs, D.W. (2017). Cisgender Parents of Transgender Young People. In: Transgender People and Education. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95309-7_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95309-7_4
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