Coming out as Transgender: The Cisgender Heterosexual Spouse’s Perspective

Abstract

When a partner comes out as transgender within the context of an established heterosexual marriage, the impact to the cisgender-heterosexual spouse is often overlooked. The researchers utilized a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) approach to explore the experiences of cisgender-heterosexual spouses who have had a partner disclose a transgender identity, and what played a role in maintaining their marriage. We interviewed twelve participants whose partners came out as transgender after marriage. Data analysis revealed nine domains: marriage; learning about my partner and transition; learning about myself; family; reactions; mental health; support; social influence; and cultural influence. Findings indicate that participants underwent a vast array of both positive and negative experiences and shared a variety of factors that contributed to their decisions to remain married or not. We discuss implications for clinical practice, limitations, and directions for future research.