Trans* parenthood & « doing family »: Understanding parenthood in practices

Sammanfattning

Trans parenting, scarcely explored in scientific literature, is often treated through the lens of accessibility to procreation technology, state of legislation or experiences of family continuity. A “doing family practice” approach allows us to explore how trans parenthood is conceived in actions for trans parents in France. Through narrative interviews, a “doing family” approach to parenthood, and the use of plural normativity concepts, this study analyses the details of practices that make up trans parenthood for trans parents in France, in relation to context and institutions that influence them. Emerges from this study the importance for parents to delimit family through practices negotiating membership, establishing places of intimacy in the home and attributing specific roles to themselves and other family members. Furthermore, trans parents put in place actions in a movement inward through explicit practices of care for their children’s and their own mental health, the establishment of their transition as a family process and the active communication and education of their children on topics of discrimination. Finally, this study observes a movement outward made of trans parents’ practices of direct communication and education of others outside family members, the seeking of other queer people in associative and activist spaces and the reach for other queer and trans parented families. The results provide insight into the daily life and functioning of trans parented families. It specifically reveals how trans parenthood is conceived in daily practices of care, protection and community making.