Organizations and individuals around the globe will participate in Transgender Awareness Week this week, but many cultural and political barriers, social stigmas, and emotional challenges still exist for trans and gender-expansive children. Miami University's Katherine Kuvalanka, professor of family science and social work, can speak about her research and similar studies that show that family affirmation and support play a vital role in helping trans children avoid or overcome the elevated risks for depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation.

Kuvalanka is the principal investigator of the Trans*Kids Project, a longitudinal study of 50 families with transgender and gender-diverse children.

“Kids in our study have better wellbeing scores compared to most previous studies of trans and gender-nonconforming kids,” she said. “And we think that is because the families in our study are generally accepting, supportive, and affirming. Most of the parents in our study have allowed their children to socially transition and live as the gender they assert themselves to be.”

Kuvalanka’s research focuses on families with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) family members and factors in micro- (e.g., individual, family, school) and macro-level (e.g., legal climate) that pose challenges to, and foster resilience among, families with LGBTQ+ members.

“Some of the trans children in our study were so painfully shy, because they felt like they were pretending to be someone they weren’t, but as soon as they were allowed to be who they were, they broke out of their shells and flourished,” Kuvalanka said. “Many of the parents say that as soon as they showed acceptance and let their children express their true selves, it was like a light turned on.”

Kuvalanka has received funding from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the American Psychological Foundation. She is on the editorial board for the Journal of GLBT Family Studies and the Journal of Youth & Adolescence.