Summary

Researchers tested 85 gender-nonconforming young children, none yet socially transitioned, on tasks about gender identity and liking for toys, clothes and playmates. About two years later they checked whether the children had transitioned (changed pronouns). 36 had. Children who identified more strongly with the other sex at first testing were more likely to have transitioned, and their scores already looked like those of transitioned children and of children of the other sex. The authors conclude that childhood transitions are not random, and that transition itself does not seem to strengthen identification with the other sex. But the group was small, self-selected and from liberal, well-off families. Follow-up was short. The result was a parents' decision, not long-term identity. And the 'no change' claim compares different children, not the same child before and after.

Key findings

• 85 sukupuolinormeista poikkeavaa lasta, jotka eivät olleet korjanneet sosiaalisesti, testattiin ja heitä seurattiin keskimäärin noin 25 kuukautta myöhemmin.
• 36 lasta (41 %) oli korjannut sosiaalisesti vaihtamalla pronomineja seurannassa; 49 ei ollut.
• Lapset, jotka identifioituivat alussa vahvemmin toiseen sukupuoleen, korjasivat noin 4 kertaa todennäköisemmin (noin 5 kertaa muiden tekijöiden huomioon ottamisen jälkeen).
• Lapsella, jolla oli keskitasoinen pistemäärä, oli noin 30 %:n ennustettu todennäköisyys korjata verrattuna noin 48 %:iin lapsella, jolla oli korkea pistemäärä.
• Lapset, jotka myöhemmin korjasivat, saivat suunnilleen samat pisteet kuin jo korjanneet lapset ja toisen sukupuolen lapset.
• Pojat korjasivat noin 4 kertaa todennäköisemmin kuin tytöt, ja pidempi aika seurantaan ennusti myös korjausta.
• Vanhemmat olivat hyvin poliittisesti liberaaleja ja korkeatuloisia, ja kirjoittajat sanovat 41 %:n korjausluvun todennäköisesti yliarvioivan sukupuolinormeista poikkeavien lasten yleistä lukua.

Abstract

Increasing numbers of gender-nonconforming children are socially transitioning-changing pronouns to live as their identified genders. We studied a cohort of gender-nonconforming children (n = 85) and contacted them again approximately 2 years later. When recontacted, 36 of the children had socially transitioned. We found that stronger cross-sex identification and preferences expressed by gender-nonconforming children at initial testing predicted whether they later socially transitioned. We then compared the gender-nonconforming children with groups of transitioned transgender children (n = 84) and gender-conforming controls (n = 85). Children from our longitudinal cohort who would later transition were highly similar to transgender children (children who had already socially transitioned) and to control children of the gender to which they would eventually transition. Gender-nonconforming children who would not go on to transition were different from these groups. These results suggest that (a) social transitions may be predictable from gender identification and preferences and (b) gender identification and preferences may not meaningfully differ before and after social transitions.

Conclusion

Despite limitations and a need for future replications, this study provides preliminary evidence that extremity of identification with the gender opposite one's assigned sex predicts childhood social transitions. Moreover, differences in gender extremity likely exist prior to—and not because of—social transitions.