QUESTIONNAIRE

THIS IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF CHILDREN OF GENDER VARIANT PARENTS

THIS IS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS OF CHILDREN OF GENDER VARIANT PARENTS

Send mail to The Gender Tree with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2000 The Gender Tree

Send mail to The Gender Tree with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2000 The Gender Tree

CHILD QUESTIONNAIRE

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please fill out only if you have children
Unless otherwise noted, please mark the single response that most accurately reflects your opinions and behaviors of the following issues.

Except for question one, these questions assume that the person filling out the form is gender-variant. If this is not the case, please adjust the questions accordingly. (e.g., instead of, "when did your spouse find out about your gender-variance", "when did you find out about your spouse's gender-variance?")

Who in your family is gender-variant?
I am gender-variant.
My spouse, significant-other, or ex- is gender-variant.
My spouse and I are both gender-variant.
Will your spouse be filling out this form as well? (We encourage it, although we don't require it.)
Yes, my spouse will fill out the form.
No, my spouse will not fill out the form.
At what point in your relationship did your spouse or significant other (SO) find out about your gender variance?
Before we were married.
After we were married but before we had children.
While the children were growing up.
After the children were grown

Other. Please explain.
What is the current status of your relationship?
We are married. How many years total?
My spouse or significant other has passed away.
We are separated.
We are divorced.
If you are divorced or separated, how big a role did your gender variance play in the dissolution of your relationship?
It wasn't a factor.
It was one of many factors.
It was a major factor.
It was the biggest factor
It was the only factor.
What was your spouse or SO's initial reaction to your gender variance?
Positive
Positive, but guarded
Indifferent
Negative
Other Please describe.
How would you describe your spouse or SO's current attitude?
Very supportive
Supportive
Supportive sometimes
Tolerant
Tolerant sometimes
Negative
Other Please describe.
Please take a few minutes and describe more about the degree of acceptance of your gender variance exhibited by your spouse or SO, perhaps providing some examples from daily living related to his or her degree of acceptance.
How many children do you have? 1 2 3 4 5 or more
1. Starting with the oldest, at what age did your children find out?
2. Starting with the oldest, what are their ages now?

Under what conditions did your children discover your gender variance?

	Child 1	Child 2	Child 3	Child 4	Child 5
We told him or her.
He or she saw or discovered.
He or she found clothing.
He or she hacked the computer.
Other
Please describe.

How would you describe the initial reaction of each of your children?

How would you describe the current attitude of each child?

	Child 1	Child 2	Child 3	Child 4	Child 5
Very Supportive
Supportive
Supportive sometimes
Tolerant
Tolerant sometimes
Negative
Other
Please describe.

Please take a few minutes and describe more about the degree of acceptance of your gender variance exhibited by each of your children, perhaps providing some examples from daily living related to his or her degree of acceptance.
. If you told your children, what preparation was made to ease the effect or prepare the child?
If you told your children, how did you go about it?
What should you have done differently?
Have the different levels of acceptance of your gender variance caused strains in the relationships between any family members?
No

Yes Please describe.
Have any family members seen you dressed?
1. Your spouse/significant other?
  No Yes Reaction?
2. Your oldest child?
  No Yes Reaction?
3. Your second child?
  No Yes Reaction?
4. Your third child?
  No Yes Reaction?
5. Your fourth child?
  No Yes Reaction?
6. Your fifth child?
  No Yes Reaction?
Who else is aware of your gender variance?
Some family members
Some close friends know
A counselor or therapist
Some Internet acquaintances
Everybody we know, as I am public "out"
No one
If you are maintaining your gender orientation as a secret, are you aware of any breaches of your security or confidentiality as a consequence of telling your children?
No
Yes
I don't know/uncertain

Please explain.
Surveys often focus on the negative and/or stressful aspects of someone's gender orientation. For many however, a variety of positive features exist as well. Please share your feelings about any of the positive aspects of your gender orientation concerning your children.
Have there been any problems as a result of someone your children told?
Yes
No
Don't know

Please explain
Have there been any problems at school? (Children tell teachers everything)
Yes
No
Don't know

Please explain
Do your children view your "other self" as a separate person?
Yes
No
Unknown/I Don't Know

Please explain
In terms of gender variance, how would you classify yourself?
Crossdresser
Transvestite.
Transgendered.
Transsexual.
Pre-op Transsexual
Post op Transsexual.
Other Please explain

Do you observe any differences in your behavior when you are dressed according to your preferred/other gender orientation?

Speech patterns	Yes No
Listening patterns	Yes No
Behavior Patterns	Yes No
Body Language	Yes No
Attitudes	Yes No
Areas of Interest	Yes No
Overall Agreement	Yes No
Tenderness	Yes No

Are you a member of a support group?
Yes Which one(s)?
No
Are you seeing a therapist, counselor, or mental-health professional for your gender variance?
Yes
No
If yes, have you taken your family to a therapist, counselor, or mental-health professional?

Yes
Please briefly describe.

No
Does your gender variance have an impact on social relationships with others?
Yes, Negatively
Yes, Positively
No, generally it has no impact
No, it never has any impact

Please explain
Are there any other Transgendered people in your family?
Yes
No
Unknown/I Don't Know

Please Comment
Do your children differentiate between gender orientation and sexual orientation?
Yes
No
Unknown/I Don't Know

Please Comment
Have they met other transgendered people?
Yes
No
Unknown/I Don't Know

Please Comment
Do your children see your gender variance as an overall intrusion in their lives? (By intrusion, we have in mind something that comes at the expense of something else, or some other activity.)
Yes, a serious intrusion
Yes, as an intrusion
Yes. However as an annoyance, not a serious intrusion
No it is not an intrusion
Rather than an intrusion, it is a positive feature

Please comment
How important are the feelings of your children to you?
Their feelings are very important
Their feelings are somewhat important
Their feelings are not important

If you wanted to dress full time (according to your preferred gender identity), to what extent could your family accommodate this?

Would you state that the frequency of your desire to express your gender variance is generally
Increasing
Decreasing
About the same

Please explain
Some Spouses and Significant Others talk about increased tension and irritability when their Spouse or SO is unable to dress according to their preferred gender orientation. To what extent is this true with you?
I am extremely irritable when unable to dress on a regular basis.
I am somewhat more irritable when unable to dress on a regular basis.
I am rarely more irritable when unable to dress on a regular basis.
I do not become more irritable when unable to dress on a regular basis.
I do not become more irritable if unable to dress, but I do when I have no opportunity to express my cross-gendered side.

Please explain
Have you found educational and support material helpful?
Yes, very helpful
Yes, somewhat helpful
Only slightly helpful
Not very helpful
Not helpful at all
I have not had access to educational or support information.
If you have found educational and support material helpful, what are the type(s) of material/information? Any specific titles or authors?

Most research, as well as practical life experience, suggests that it is difficult, perhaps even impossible, to change one's deepest gender/sexual orientations. If, however, science and medicine were to make such changes both possible and safe, would your family want you to change your preferred gender orientation?

	Spouse or Significant Other	First Child	Second Child	Third Child	Fourth Child	Fifth Child
Absolutely yes.
Probably yes
Most likely yes
Unsure
Probably no
Definitely no

Indifferent

Please describe.