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Genderqueer identities—those that challenge a strict binary between woman and man—are increasingly visible within mainstream culture and psychological research. However, little is known about generational differences in the lived experience of genderqueer people. Inductive thematic analysis of interviews with 30 genderqueer sexual minorities of 3 distinct generations living the United States revealed 3 major themes: (a) unintelligibility: genderqueer people face challenges in identifying, naming, and expressing their gender due to the constraints of everyday language and material culture; (b) managing stigma through challenging oppression: genderqueer people manage stigma by naming and challenging the gender binary, often in relation to other forms of oppression; and (c) connection beyond mainstream LGBTQ communities: genderqueer people often find connection outside of mainstream LGBTQ spaces, such as through ethnicity-based or sexual subcommunities (e.g., kink/BDSM, polyamorous). Within these themes, key generational patterns included (a) greater challenges among the middle and older generations in naming and expressing a genderqueer identity, especially in relation to their sexual identity; (b) intensified critique of mainstream LGBTQ politics among the younger generation; and (c) greater challenges in finding and maintaining community among the middle and older generations. Across generations, participants emphasized the need to create more inclusive environments by changing language and social structures to deemphasize the gender binary.

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Correlational research finds that transgender youth who have been homeless are more likely to have attempted suicide; however, there is not yet research explaining why this correlation might exist. To understand connections between housing insecurity and suicidality for transgender people the present study analyzed in-depth interviews with 30 transgender young people (ages 15–25) in the United States who had experienced homelessness. Interviews took place in LGBTQ community centers, and were analyzed for inductive themes using Qualitative Content Analysis. In contrast with theories suggesting that homelessness predicts increased suicidality because of the stressors of homelessness, this study found that gender-based parental rejection and other dysfunctional family dynamics interacted to create a hostile environment that contributed to both suicidality and homelessness for trans participants. In fact, suicide attempts occurred most often while participants still lived in disaffirming homes and usually ceased after participants left the unsafe home, suggesting that leaving a disaffirming family home, even if it results in homelessness, may decrease suicidality for some youth. Findings suggest that service providers working with transgender youth experiencing homelessness must consider familial gender disaffirmation, other familial stressors, and lack of access to shelter as equal threats to trans youth’s wellbeing and design interventions accordingly.