Abstract
Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Approximately 1.6 million people identify as TNB in the US. Affirmation, the process of acknowledging a person’s gender identity, plays a significant role in the mental health and well-being of TNB people by reducing feelings of isolation, dysphoria, and anxiety. Invalidation, which occurs when a person’s gender identity is denied, can have significant adverse effects on the mental and emotional well-being of TNB people. This presentation explores TNB people's affirmative and invalidating experiences related to using preferred names and pronouns. Twenty semi-structured interviews with TNB people occurred to gather data. To analyze the data, the researcher conducted a thematic analysis utilizing a six-step process. Two major themes emerged from the data: Feeling Invalidated and Receiving Affirmation. Feeling Invalidated describes the meaning and feelings TNB people experience when being misgendered whereas Receiving Affirmation explores the experiences of TNB when appropriately gendered. Implications for nursing education, research, and practice are discussed, highlighting the importance of using TNB people's preferred pronouns and names when providing care.
Notes
References: Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Herman, J. L., Flores, A. R., & O’Neill, K. K. (2022). How many adults and youth identify as transgender in the United States? Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/
Hostetter, C. R., Call, J., Gerke, D. R., Holloway, B. T., Walls, N. E., & Greenfield, J. C. (2022). “We are doing the absolute most that we can, and no one is listening”: Barriers and facilitators to health literacy within transgender and nonbinary communities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1229-1236. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031229
Matsuno, E., Bricker, N. L., Collazo, E. N., Mohr, R., & Balsam, K. F. (2024). “The default is just going to be getting misgendered”: Minority stress experiences among nonbinary adults. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 11(2), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000607
Wilson, H., Malik, A., & Thompson, S. (2024). How transgender adolescents experience expressing their gender identity around new people: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Adolescent Research, 39(1), 30–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584211043879
Sigma Membership
Iota Xi at-Large
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
DEI/BIPOC, Health Equity or Social Determinants of Health, Stress and Coping, Transgender and Nonbinary, Gender Identity
Recommended Citation
Quildey-Rodriguez, Narciso, "What’s In a Name?: Transgender People’s Affirming and Invalidating Experiences with Preferred Names" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 72.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/presentations_2025/72
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
What’s In a Name?: Transgender People’s Affirming and Invalidating Experiences with Preferred Names
Seattle, Washington, USA
Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people’s gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Approximately 1.6 million people identify as TNB in the US. Affirmation, the process of acknowledging a person’s gender identity, plays a significant role in the mental health and well-being of TNB people by reducing feelings of isolation, dysphoria, and anxiety. Invalidation, which occurs when a person’s gender identity is denied, can have significant adverse effects on the mental and emotional well-being of TNB people. This presentation explores TNB people's affirmative and invalidating experiences related to using preferred names and pronouns. Twenty semi-structured interviews with TNB people occurred to gather data. To analyze the data, the researcher conducted a thematic analysis utilizing a six-step process. Two major themes emerged from the data: Feeling Invalidated and Receiving Affirmation. Feeling Invalidated describes the meaning and feelings TNB people experience when being misgendered whereas Receiving Affirmation explores the experiences of TNB when appropriately gendered. Implications for nursing education, research, and practice are discussed, highlighting the importance of using TNB people's preferred pronouns and names when providing care.
Description
Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) people have gender identities that differ from their assigned sex at birth. Affirmation of their gender identity improves their mental health whereas invalidation can severely impact their emotional well-being. This presentation examines TNB experiences regarding the use of preferred names and pronouns, revealing themes of Feeling Invalidated and Receiving Affirmation. Recommendations emphasize the inclusion of gender identity in healthcare.