FAMILY LIFE
Partner and Spousal Relationships Nearly half (45%) of those who responded to the statement “my relationship with my spouse or partner ended” reported that their relationship with that spouse or partner ended due to their transgender identity or gender non-conformity; over half (55%) stayed in their relationship (or the relationship ended for other reasons). These data indicate that relationships are maintained at a much higher rate than some might expect. Those respondents who had transitioned did see their relationships end at a higher rate, with 55% of relationships ending. Additionally, the age the respondent began living full time was closely connected to whether a relationship ended. Those who transitioned at a younger age were more likely to have maintained their relationship through a transition, with 59% of people maintaining their relationship if they transitioned between the ages of 18-24 compared to only 36% of relationships lasting for those between the ages of 45-54.
We also saw that whether or not relationships ended was connected to gender identity. Transgender women were more likely to experience the end of a relationship, compared to transgender men, except for those transitioned under the age of 18. This gender difference increased as the age of transition for respondents increased.4 End of Relationships by Gender Identity and Age of Transition 100 90 80 69%
70
73%
67%
60 50 40
40% 40%
45%
45%
39%
39%
30 20 10
*
0
Maintaining Relationships through Transition by Age of Transition 100
80
60
<18
18-24
25-44 MTF
45-54
55+
FTM
* Sample size too low to report
90
70
95
61%
59%
50
42% 36%
40
30%
30 20
Unemployed respondents (50%) and those who had lost jobs due to bias (62%) reported higher rates of relationship disruption. Male-to-female transgender respondents also reported higher rates of disruption (57%) than their FTM peers (39%) and transgender respondents lost their partnerships more often (50%) than gender non-conforming respondents (22%). For information on current relationship status of the survey respondents, see the Portrait chapter.
10 0 <18
18-24
25-44
45-54
55+
“I am married, and my wife knew about my status by the time of our second date. She said she could accept me as I was. After we were married, and she was pregnant with our son, she told me I could not be who I wanted/ was. Out of a sense of commitment, I have stayed with her, and have not been able to fully express who I really am. I have considered suicide. After all, smoking and drinking are a civilized way of committing suicide.”