Two-thirds of children who have transgender parents and are old enough to understand current events have experienced increased fears and anxieties under the second Trump administration, per a new study, which also looks at the steps trans parents are taking to protect their children and families.
The Study
The study, “Impact of the Trump Administration on Transgender Parents and their Children,” by Abbie Goldberg, professor of psychology at Clark University and affiliated scholar at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, and Brad Sears, distinguished senior scholar at the Institute, notes that one of President Trump’s first executive orders was an attempt “to erase the identities of transgender and nonbinary people for the purposes of federal law and policy.” Many other administration policies, too, may negatively impact transgender people who are also people of color, disabled, immigrants, or have low income. Add that to “a long history of legislative discrimination against transgender parents,” and it means “transgender people who are parents are particularly vulnerable.”
Indeed, the authors write that the fears sparked by the current administration “strike to the very heart of these families’ security and stability: for some, what is at stake is not a set of negative impacts on their family, but whether their family will survive the Trump presidency intact.” As some of the parents shared:
It has increased my children’s exposure to fear, anxiety, and awareness of how different families are treated. My older child has started asking why some people hate families like ours and whether I’ll ‘get taken away.’
My older child asked whether families like ours would still be allowed to stay together if laws keep changing. My younger one asked if people will always be mean to us for being different.
The study, conducted in 2025, surveyed 108 respondents: 37% nonbinary, 32% transgender women, 22% transgender men, and 9% genderqueer, genderfluid, or genderflux. One-third were people of color. Most parents (86%) had either one or two children; half with at least one child who was five years old or younger, 60% with at least one child between 6 and 12, and 36% with at least one child between 13 and 18.
More than two-thirds of the parents reported at least one financial challenge, including struggles to pay basic household expenses and/or rent. About the same percentage also received or interacted with at least one type of government assistance, including health care, food assistance, and child welfare services.
Over nine in 10 respondents (94%) reported one or more health challenges, including anxiety (79%) and depression (67%). Most (95%) were also taking steps to address them.
New Worries and Concerns
Just under half (45%) of respondents felt that their children were too young to be aware of and impacted by the administration’s policies, but the among the other 55%, two-thirds (66%) said their children had increased anxieties and/or fears because of the Trump administration. Over half (56%) said these included new worries or concerns, including ones about their parents’ safety and/or lack of access to gender-affirming care; discrimination, harassment, or violence towards their families; and questions about why people don’t like their parents or families. Heartbreakingly, they also worried about “whether their families will be split up, whether they will be taken away from their parents, and whether their families will have to move to a safer location.”
One said, “I had to take my children out of school and homeschool them due to bullying and being harassed.” Others shared:
My eldest daughter even at a young age is beginning to ask often more into the subject of ‘why people are mean to families like ours.’ The changes in language and attitude in media and some public spheres seem to register emotionally with them, even though they may not grasp the politics behind it.
My child is even more anxious now, and is very angry at our country … He’s autistic and has an IEP, so if Trump manages to actually gut the Department of Education, we’ll run up to problems on that front—but I do trust the school community here to have my child’s back if they do.
Strategies for Reassurance
The parents used three key strategies to address children’s concerns:
- Acknowledging, validating, and processing them;
- Providing reassurance that their families were safe;
- Promising to advocate for their children and families.
They also provided information to their children, worked to build their children’s self-esteem, cultivated open communication, and shared historical perspectives on what was happening in the United States. Some said:
I explain things in an age-appropriate way, focusing on values like fairness, kindness, and resilience. I reassure them that they are safe and that we can always speak up and support those who are being treated unfairly. These conversations help ease their worries and encourage critical thinking and empathy.
I reassure them that our family is strong, that I will always protect them, and that there are many people and communities fighting for fairness and love—even when it feels like the world is uncertain.
I keep it age appropriate, use storybooks, affirming messages, and conversations that reinforce love, safety, and the value of diversity.
I believe it’s important to create an open, honest, and emotionally safe space where they feel heard and supported. Then respond with honesty that matches their age and emotional understanding.
Strategies for Safety
Most of the parents (87%) also took specific steps to protect their children’s safety, including limiting their own or their family’s visibility in public spaces and/or social media; avoiding one or more family-oriented spaces and events like playgrounds, school events, and birthday parties; moving or considering moving; homeschooling or changing schools; securing legal safeguards to protect their legal relationships with children and/or partners; and taking self-defense classes or buying personal safety devices. Some explained:
We are more cautious now. We’ve emphasized not outing themselves or our family unnecessarily in unsafe settings. We’ve changed some of our routines—like avoiding certain public events or traveling to specific states—and we’re considering homeschooling if policies worsen locally. It’s a balance between protecting them and still fostering their confidence and identity.
I’ve limited my ‘outness’ in public spaces, especially in church related settings. We still go to church, but I’ve explained that we cannot disclose that I am part of the LGBT community. He seems to understand.
Some parents also increased their children’s exposure to LGBTQ+affirming media, spaces, and communities, and/or became more involved in community organizing and advocacy themselves. They shared:
I have tried to make sure my children get healthy representation of LGBT families from shows such as Sesame Street.
I certainly have more conversations about civil rights [and] the importance of standing up for oneself and others.
Impact on Family Planning
Although the parents were working hard to support their children and protect their families, one-third of respondents also said that because of the Trump administration, they were planning to have fewer children. Others indicated that the timing or method that they had been planning to use to grow or start their families had changed because of the administration.
As one participant shared, “As a nonbinary and Black parent in the U.S. … I can say the rise in anti-trans and anti-Black sentiment, along with legal rollbacks, has made me more cautious about expanding my family.”
Moving Forward
Despite all of the challenges, however, many respondents also expressed resilience and commitment:
I am not stopping myself from living my life because of bigots in this country. My and my family’s lives matter too.
The general message my partner and I try to instill in our children is that they are deeply worthy, cared for, loved, and fought for, even as many try to fight against them and their joy and existence. We explain our values as a family. We explain what’s going on honestly and give historical context, and hope that things will be better and that we can be good people still.
It may not be surprising that children of trans parents have been harmed by this administration—but the study details some of the specifics in ways that may be helpful for both parents and advocates in addressing those harms. I found the insights and actions shared by the parents (of which I’ve only quoted a few here) to be particularly powerful. I hope you’ll go take a look at the full study.