Expecting Rejection: Understanding the Minority Stress Experiences of Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Individuals

TLDR

Transgender and gender‑nonconforming individuals frequently experience external stigma, discrimination, and violence that are linked to psychological distress, yet research on their internal stressors remains limited. The study examined how TGNC individuals experience and respond to expectations of rejection, and discussed its health impact and therapeutic implications. In-depth interviews with 30 TGNC participants (mean age 30.4, 60 % people of color) were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methods. Four themes emerged—where rejection is expected, associated thoughts and feelings, coping strategies, and the intersection of race and ethnicity—showing that expecting rejection is a frequent and salient internal stressor for TGNC individuals.

Abstract

Purpose: Transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals often are the target of enacted or external (i.e., distal) experiences of stigma, discrimination, and violence, which are linked to adverse health, particularly psychological distress. There is limited research, however, examining felt or internal (i.e., proximal) stressors faced by TGNC individuals. This study sought to examine one type of internal stressor, expecting rejection, and aimed to (1) identify how and to what extent rejection expectations operate day-to-day for TGNC individuals and (2) explore how TGNC individuals respond to expectations of rejection. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 participants from 2014 to 2015 who identified as TGNC (mean age=30.4; 60% people of color); data were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research method. Results: Four thematic categories emerged about expecting rejection: (1) where to expect rejection; (2) thoughts and feelings associated with expectations of rejection; (3) coping strategies used to manage the expectation of rejection; and (4) the intersection of race and ethnicity with rejection expectations. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggest that expecting rejection is a frequent and salient internal stressor for TGNC individuals. We discuss the psychological and cumulative potential health impact of minority stress, and the applicability of Meyer's Minority Stress Model. Therapeutic interventions are needed to address the specific cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses TGNC individuals experience as a result of the stress associated with expecting rejection, including fear, anxiety, and situational avoidance.