Study Results
What did we do?
Our team collaborated with a trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse (TGD) youth advisory board (YAB) to explore how the research community can do a better job researching topics affected by TGD youth. From February to March of 2025, after the Trump administration signed multiple executive orders negatively impacting TGD youth, we interviewed 21 TGD youth (ages 12-22) on barriers and facilitators to participating in research. Our research team, including our TGD YAB, systematically reviewed these interviews to find consistent themes. Four themes were identified: 1) Recruitment materials and resources can deter or encourage research participation; 2) There are special considerations for research recruitment of TGD youth due to stigma against TGD people; 3) Personal relationships may negatively or positively affect recruitment within TGD research; and 4) Research staff can promote a positive and affirming research environment for TGD youth participants.
Examples of quotes from participants:
“I mean, I think money is always a great, great incentive. But...I think just helping other people and helping other trans people towards like a research kind of goal, maybe all the incentive that's needed.”
“...the fact that there is so little research on trans people is part of what dehumanizes us and marks us as separate to some people because there's so little data on a lot of things where, a lot of scientific data is on largely, you know, cis white men. So, I think that’s my main driver as pertaining to my gender identity.”
“...when they list like...specific genders they want, I'm like, okay, I don't think you guys are designing this study with the nuance needed to really understand what…I am in the first place, so no thanks.”
“And one research area that I'm not interested in anymore is more of the whys of like, why is a person like identifying this way? Can we make a system to potentially gauge if a person will be like this in the future? I just don't like the potential eugenics aspect that can come of that.”
“Recently, due to this political climate, it's gotten scarier to be, LGBT and or just a minority in general. You know, there's scary things online...because of, like, who we are, we might, like, lose that privacy because they want to know where we live or possibly, like, keep us away from things.”
“[Recruitment] has to be done within the community of researchers from within the community. That, in a way have a trust that is built in...Due to the aforementioned safety concerns that a lot of trans youth in general have of the smallest bit that they open up into society of who they are, to immediately have it switched on them and used as a negative to berate them, or so on and so forth.”
What was new, innovative, or notable?
To create an affirming research environment and maximize the study’s impact on the TGD community, we collaborated with our TGD YAB at every stage of this study, from recruitment to dissemination of our results. Furthermore, from our understanding, this is the first study to interview TGD youth on research participation. This is particularly notable given 1) TGD youth are underrepresented in research and 2) interviews were conducted during a time when TGD youth are being politically targeted and these attacks can further deter them from participating in research.
What did we learn?
We learned that many TGD youth were primarily motivated to participate in research that aims to help the TGD community. Alternatively, the current political climate can negatively affect research participation in multiple ways. Firstly, there are concerns that certain research topics can be used by legislators to harm TGD people. Examples of topics included “detransition” and factors that can explain why youth are TGD. Secondly, there are heightened concerns of privacy and confidentiality because participants were concerned that their TGD identity could be used against them. All together, we recommend researchers highlight confidentiality measures and the study’s potential positive impact on TGD communities in the recruitment process. Fortunately, interview participants also provided additional suggestions for improving research experiences such as, including LGBTQIA+ research representation and research team members genuinely invested in the advancement of TGD youth, practicing cultural humility, and implementing community-engaged research methods.
What does this mean for our communities?
This study suggests that TGD youth feel inclined to participate in research that is gender affirming, beneficial to TGD communities, explicitly confidential, and informed by TGD researchers. Given the escalating attacks on TGD youth, research teams should prioritize privacy and community informed practices when researching TGD youth.
What’s next?
The overall goal of our research is to develop a measure of disordered eating specifically for TGD youth since most disordered eating measures were created for cisgender women. Our team is currently conducting focus groups that assess TGD youths’ views on current disordered eating measures. This will guide us in creating a measure that is tailored to the experiences of TGD youth.
Action Steps:
See https://rises-studies.com/oportunities_to_participate to learn more about this study and to access information on how to participate in future research on TGD youth.