Experiences of Family Members and Friends of Transgender People in the Australian Church: A Qualitative Study of Health Challenges, Confusion, and Bereavement

Abstract Little is known about the experience of family members and friends of transgender people in the Christian Church. This online questionnaire was targeted at Christian family members and friends of transgender individuals in Australia. Fifty-one participants responded to the questionnaire (Family n = 28; Friends n = 23). Responses given as free text were analysed according to grounded theory. Responses indicated that participant family and friends experienced significant challenges to their well-being as they accompanied the transgender individual. Respondents were committed to supporting their loved ones and were grieved by the rejection they observed affecting their transgender relatives and friends. The transition of the transgender person was experienced as a bereavement, particularly by family members, and was accompanied by confusion about how to rationalise this experience within their own theology. More work is needed to understand the challenges for Christian family and friends of transgender individuals and provide the support needed by family and friends of transgender people.