Abstract
The present study explores the close friendship patterns of transgender individuals by considering the role of gender identity (trans men, trans women, non-binary) and LGBT affiliation (affiliated, non-affiliated) on friends’ identities. Participants were 495 transgender individuals who completed a questionnaire reporting their identities as well as the identities of their close friends. Friendship patterns were explored based on the number of friends who identified as transgender/cisgender, sexual minority/heterosexual, and LGBT affiliated/non-affiliated. Overall, participants reported more cisgender (vs. transgender) friends and more sexual minority (vs. heterosexual friends), suggesting that the majority of their friendships are experienced in a cross-gender identity context. However, important friendship patterns were distinguished across LGBT affiliation and gender identity of the participant. Trans participants who were LGBT affiliated (vs. non-affiliated) reported more transgender friends, more sexual minority friends, and more LGBT affiliated friends. With regard to gender identity, trans men reported more sexual minority and more LGBT affiliated friends when compared to trans women. In addition, trans women reported more non-affiliated friends than both trans men and non-binary individuals. Discussion focuses on the implications of the findings regarding the distinct experiences of trans individuals across gender identity and the common assumptions behind research that frames transgender experience within the larger LGBT community.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
We use transgender or trans as an umbrella term to refer to individuals who identify as transgender, transsexual, gender non-conforming, or have a transgender history or status. Transgender individuals are individuals whose gender identity is different from their sex assigned at birth.
We use the singular they/them as gender inclusive pronouns.
References
Alegria, C. A. (2010). Relationship challenges and relationship maintenance activities following disclosure of transsexualism. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 17(10), 909–916. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2850.2010.01624.x.
Baiocco, R., Laghi, F., Di Pomponio, I., & Nigito, C. S. (2012). Self-disclosure to the best friend: Friendship quality and internalized sexual stigma in Italian lesbian and gay adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 35(2), 381–387. doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.08.002.
Baiocco, R., Santamaria, F., Lonigro, A., & Laghi, F. (2014). Beyond similarities: cross-gender and cross-orientation best friends in a sample of sexual minority and heterosexual young adults. Sex Roles, 70(3–4), 110–121. doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0343-2.
Bauerband, L. A., & Galupo, M. P. (2014). The gender identity reflection and rumination scale: Development and psychometric evaluation. Journal of Counseling Development, 92(2), 219–231. doi:10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00151.x.
Beemyn, G., & Rankin, S. (2011). The lives of transgender people. New York: Columbia University Press.
Berger, R. M. (1982). The unseen minority: Older gays and lesbians. Social Work, 27(3), 236–242. doi:10.1093/sw/27.3.236.
Bleske-Rechek, A., Somers, E., Micke, C., Erickson, L., Matteson, L., Stocco, C., et al. (2012). Benefit or burden? Attraction in cross-sex friendship. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(5), 5569–5596. doi:10.1177/0265407512443611.
Bockting, W. O., Miner, M. H., Swinburne Romine, R. E., Hamilton, A., & Coleman, E. (2013). Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), 943–951. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301241.
Bradford, J., Reisner, S. L., Honnold, J. A., & Xavier, J. (2013). Experiences of transgender-related discrimination and implications for health: Results from the Virginia Transgender Health Initiative Study. American Journal of Public Health, 103(10), 1820–1829. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300796.
Braithwaite, D. O., Wackernagel Bach, B., Baxter, L. A., DiVerniero, R., Hammonds, J. R., Hosek, A. M., et al. (2010). Constructing family: typology of voluntary kin. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27(3), 388–407. doi:10.1177/0265407510361615.
Canary, D. J., Emmers-Sommer, T. M., & Faulkner, S. (1997). Sex and gender differences in personal relationships. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Chang, T. K., & Chung, Y. B. (2015). Transgender microaggressions: Complexity of the heterogeneity of transgender identities. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 9(3), 217–234. doi:10.1080/15538605.2015.1068146.
Chang, S., Kumar, V., Gilbert, E., & Terveen, L. C. (2014). Specialization, homophily, and gender in a social curation site: findings from pinterest. In Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on computer supported cooperative work & social computing (pp. 674–686). http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2531602.2531660.
Dillman, D. A., Smyth, J. D., & Christian, L. M. (2014). Internet, mail, and mixed-mode surveys: The tailored design method author. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Duck, S. (1991). Understanding relationships. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Egan, S. K., & Perry, D. G. (2001). Gender identity: A multidimensional analysis with implications for psychosocial adjustment. Developmental Psychology, 37(4), 451–463. doi:10.1037//0012-I649.37.4.45I.
Erickson-Schroth, L. (Ed.). (2014). Trans bodies, trans selves: A resource for the transgender community. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Esterberg, K. G. (1997). Lesbian and bisexual identities: Constructing communities, constructing selves. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
Factor, R. J., & Rothblum, E. D. (2008). Exploring gender identity and community among three groups of transgender individuals in the United States: MTFs, FTMs, and genderqueers. Health Sociology Review, 17, 241–259.
Farmer, L. B., & Byrd, R. (2015). Genderism in the LGBTQQIA Community: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling. doi:10.1080/15538605.2015.1103679.
Fassinger, R. E., & Arseneau, J. R. (2007). ‘I’d rather get wet than be under the umbrella: Differentiating the experiences and identities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. In K. J. Biesche, R. M. Perez, & K. A. DeBord (Eds.), Handbook of counseling and psychotherapy with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clients (pp. 19–49). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Frost, D. M., & Meyer, I. H. (2009). Internalized homophobia and relationship quality among lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(1), 97–109. doi:10.1037/a0012844.
Galupo, M. P. (2006). Sexism, heterosexism, and biphobia: The framing of bisexual women’s friendships. Journal of Bisexuality, 6(3), 35–45. doi:10.1300/J159v06n03_03.
Galupo, M. P. (2007). Friendship patterns of sexual minority individuals in adulthood. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 24(1), 139–151. doi:10.1177/0265407506070480.
Galupo, M. P. (2009). Cross-category friendship patterns: Comparison of heterosexual and sexual minority adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26(6–7), 811–831. doi:10.1177/0265407509345651.
Galupo, M. P., Bauerband, L. A., Gonzalez, K. A., Hagen, D. B., Hether, S. D., & Krum, T. E. (2014). Transgender friendship experiences: Benefits and barriers of friendships across gender identity and sexual orientation. Feminism & Psychology, 24(2), 193–215. doi:10.1177/0959353514526218.
Galupo, M. P., Davis, K. S., Grynkiewicz, A. L., & Mitchell, R. C. (2014). Conceptualization of sexual orientation identity among sexual minorities: Patterns across sexual and gender identity. Journal of Bisexuality, 14, 433–456. doi:10.1080/15299716.2014.933466.
Galupo, M. P., & Gonzalez, K. A. (2013). Friendship values and cross-category friendships: Understanding adult friendship patterns across gender, sexual orientation and race. Sex Roles, 68(11–12), 779–790. doi:10.1007/s11199-012-0211-x.
Galupo, M. P., Henise, S. B., & Davis, K. S. (2014). Transgender microaggressions in the context of friendship: Patterns of experience across friends’ sexual orientation and gender identity. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 461–470. doi:10.1037/sgd0000075.
Galupo, M. P., Krum, T., Hagen, D. B., Gonzalez, K. A., & Bauerband, L. A. (2014). Disclosure of tansgender identity and status in the context of friendship. Journsal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 8(1), 25–42. doi:10.1080/15538605.2014.853638.
Galupo, M. P., Pulice-Farrow, L., & Ramirez, J. L. (2017). “Like a constantly flowing river”: Gender identity flexibility among non-binary transgender individuals. In J. D. Sinnott (Ed.), Identity flexibility during adulthood: Perspectives in adult development. Springer.
Galupo, M. P., Sailer, C. A., & St. John, S. C. (2004). Friendships across sexual orientations: Experiences of bisexual women in early adulthood. Journal of Bisexuality, 4(1–2), 37–53. doi:10.1300/J159v04n01_04.
Galupo, M. P., & St. John, S. (2001). Benefits of cross-sexual orientation friendships among adolescent females. Journal of Adolescence, 24(1), 83–93. doi:10.1006/jado.2000.0364.
Gillespie, B. J., Frederick, D., Harari, L., & Grov, C. (2015). Homophily, close friendship, and life satisfaction among gay, lesbian, heterosexual, and bisexual men and women. PLoS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128900.
Gillespie, B. J., Lever, J., Frederick, D., & Royce, T. (2014). Close adult friendships, gender, and the life cycle. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 32(6), 709–736. doi:10.1177/0265407514546977.
Hall, J. (2011). Sex differences in friendship expectations: A meta-analysis. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 28, 723–747. doi:10.1177/0265407510386192.
Hays, R. B. (1989). The day-to-day functioning of close versus casual friendships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6(1), 21–37. doi:10.1177/026540758900600102.
Hill, D. B., & Willoughby, B. L. B. (2005). The development and validation of the genderism and transphobia scale. Sex Roles, 53, 531–544. doi:10.1007/s11199-005-7140-x.
Hines, S. (2007). Transgendering care: Practices of care within transgender communities. Critical Social Policy, 27(4), 462–486. doi:10.1177/0261018307081808.
Johnson, K. (2007). Changing sex, changing self: Theorizing transitions in embodied subjectivity. Men and Masculinities, 10(1), 54–70. doi:10.1177/1097184X07299330.
Joslin-Roher, E., & Wheeler, D. P. (2009). Partners in transition: The transition experience of lesbian, bisexual, and queer identified partners of transgender men. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 21(1), 30–48. doi:10.1080/10538720802494743.
Logan, L. S. (2013). Status homophily, sexual identity, and lesbian social ties. Journal of Homosexuality, 6(10), 1494–1519. doi:10.1080/00918369.2013.819244.
Mays, V. M., & Cochran, S. D. (2001). Mental health correlates of perceived discrimination among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Journal of Public Health, 91(11), 1869–1876. doi:10.2105/AJPH.91.11.1869.
McPherson, M., Smith-Lovin, L., & Cook, J. M. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415–444.
McWilliams, S., & Howard, J. A. (1993). Solidarity and hierarchy in cross-sex friendships. Journal of Social Issues, 49, 191–202. doi:10.1111/j.1540-4560.1993.tb01176.x.
Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674–697. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674.
Muraco, A. (2006). Intentional families: Fictive kin ties between cross-gender, different sexual orientation friends. Journal of Marriage and Family, 68(5), 1313–1325. doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2006.00330.x.
Nadal, K. L., Skolnik, A., & Wong, Y. (2012). Interpersonal and systemic microaggressions toward transgender people: Implications for counseling. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 6(1), 55–82.
Nardi, P. M. (1992). Men’s friendships. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Nardi, P. M. (1999). Gay men’s friendships: Invincible communities. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Nuttbrock, L. A., Bockting, W. O., Hwahng, S., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., et al. (2009). Gender identity affirmation among male-to-female transgender persons: A life course analysis across types of relationships and cultural/lifestyle factors. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 24(2), 108–125. doi:10.1080/14681990902926764.
O’Meara, J. D. (1989). Cross-sex friendship: Four basic challenges of an ignored relationship. Sex Roles, 21(7–8), 525–543.
Price, J. (1999). Navigating differences: Friendships between gay and straight men. New York: Harrington.
Pulice-Farrow, L. K., Clements, Z. A., & Galupo, M. P. (2017). Patterns of transgender microaggressions in friendship: The role of gender identity. Psychology & Sexuality, 8(3), 189–207. doi:10.1080/19419899.2017.1343745.
Rawlins, W. K. (1992). Friendship matter: Communication, dialectics, and the life course. New York: Aldine DeGruyter.
Richards, C., Bouman, W. P., Seal, L., Barker, M. J., Nieder, T. O., & T’Sjoen, G. (2016). Non- binary or genderqueer genders. International Review of Psychiatry, 28(1), 95–102. doi:10.3109/09540261.2015.1106446.
Riggle, E. B., & Mohr, J. J. (2015). A proposed multi factor measure of positive identity for transgender identified individuals. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2(1), 78–85. doi:10.1037/sgd0000082.
Riggle, E. B., Mohr, J. J., Rostosky, S. S., Fingerhut, A. W., & Balsam, K. F. (2014). A multifactor lesbian, gay, and bisexual positive identity measure (LGB-PIM). Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 398–411. doi:10.1037/sgd0000057.
Riggle, E. D., Rostosky, S. S., & Reedy, C. S. (2005). Online surveys for BGLT research: Issues and techniques. Journal of Homosexuality, 49(2), 1–21. doi:10.1300/J082v49n02_01.
Riggle, E. D., Rostosky, S. S., McCants, L. E., & Pascale-Hague, D. (2011). The positive aspects of a transgender self-identification. Psychology & Sexuality, 2(2), 147–158. doi:10.1080/19419899.2010.534490.
Rose, S. (1985). Same- and cross-sex friendships and the psychology of homosociality. Sex Roles, 12, 63–74. doi:10.1007/BF00288037.
Rose, S., & Serafica, F. C. (1986). Keeping and ending casual, close and best friendships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 3(3), 275–288. doi:10.1177/0265407586033002.
Singh, A. A., Hays, D. G., & Watson, L. S. (2011). Strength in the face of adversity: Resilience strategies of transgender individuals. Journal of Counseling and Development, 89(1), 20–27.
Stanley, J. L. (1996). The lesbian’s experience of friendship. In J. Weinstock & E. Rothblum (Eds.), Lesbian friendships: For others and each other (pp. 39–59). New York, NY: New York University Press.
Suttles, G. (1970). Friendship as a social institution. In G. J. McCall, N. K. Denzin, G. D. Suttles, & S. B. Kurth (Eds.), Social relationships (pp. 95–135). Chicago: Aldine Publishing Co.
Tate, C. C. (2014). Gender identity as a personality process. In B. L. Miller (Ed.), Gender identity: Disorders, developmental perspectives, and social implications (pp. 1–22). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Tate, C. C., Youssef, C. P., & Bettergarcia, J. N. (2014). Integrating the study of transgender spectrum and cisgender experiences of self-categorization from a personality perspective. Review of General Psychology, 18(4), 302–312. doi:10.1037/gpr0000019.
Testa, R. J., Habarth, J., Peta, J., Balsam, K., & Bockting, W. (2015). Development of the gender minority stress and resilience measure. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2(1), 65–77. doi:10.1037/sgd0000081.
Tillmann-Healy, L. M. (2001). Between gay and straight: Understanding friendship across sexual orientation. Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.
Ueno, K. (2010). Patterns of cross-orientation friendships in high schools. Social Science Research, 39(3), 444–458. doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2009.10.001.
van Anders, S. M. (2014). Newborn bio/logics and US legal requirements for changing gender/sex designations on state identity documents. Feminism & Psychology, 24(2), 172–192. doi:10.1177/0959353514526222.
van Anders, S. M. (2015). Beyond sexual orientation: Integrating gender/sex and diverse sexualities via sexual configurations theory. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44, 1177–1213. doi:10.1007/s10508-015-0490-8.
Way, N., Cowal, K., Gingold, R., Pahl, K., & Bissessar, N. (2001). Friendship patterns among African American, Asian American, and Latino adolescents from low-income families. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 18(1), 29–53. doi:10.1177/0265407501181002.
Weeks, J. (1995). Invented moralities: Sexual values in an age of uncertainty. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Weinstock, J. S. (2000). Lesbian friendships at midlife: Patterns and possibilities for the 21st century. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 11(2–3), 1–32. doi:10.1300/J041v11n02_01.
Weiss, J. T. (2004). GL versus BT: The archaeology of biphobia and transphobia within the US gay and lesbian community. Journal of Bisexuality, 3(3–4), 25–55. doi:10.1300/J159v03n03_02.
Weisz, C., & Wood, L. F. (2005). Social identity support and friendship outcomes: A longitudinal study predicting who will be friends and best friends 4 years later. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 22(3), 416–432. doi:10.1177/0265407505052444.
Weston, K. (1991). Families we choose. In P. M. Nardi & B. E. Schneider (Eds.), Social perspectives in lesbian and gay studies (p. 390). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
Zitz, C. (2011). Friendships in the lives of transgender individuals (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from http://create.canterbury.ac.uk/10327/.
Zitz, C., Burns, J., & Tacconelli, E. (2014). Trans men and friendships: A foucauldian discourse analysis. Feminism & Psychology, 24(2), 216–237. doi:10.1177/0959353514526224.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Informed Consent
This research was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the home institution. These guidelines ensured that we received informed consent by our adult participants.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Boyer, C., Galupo, M.P. Transgender Friendship Profiles: Patterns Across Gender Identity and LGBT Affiliation. Gend. Issues 35, 236–253 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9199-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12147-017-9199-4