“We seem tough, but inside we are dying”: trans childhood maternity

Abstract

This article arises from my doctoral research on what I call “experiences of trans childhoods and adolescences” from an ethnographic perspective. Within this framework, I am interested in how those experiences are re-elaborated and related by adult trans people who lived it “in their own flesh” as well as in the experiences of trans children families. In particular, this paper analyzes the experiences of the mothers in the process of accompanying their trans children in the city of Bariloche. The objective is to approach their experiences and stories from a gender perspective, problematizing and putting in discussion the roles of women in relation to maternity, childcare and family. This research also intends to critically inquire into the feelings that go trough these women, including doubt, guilt and fear of being “bad mothers”.