“Like fitting a circle into a circle-sized hole”—trans adolescents’ experiences of gender euphoria

Background In the past years, research in transgender health has expanded from focusing on gender dysphoria to also exploring gender euphoria (GE). While research among adults has described sources (e.g. affirming language and appearance, passing, community) and emotional manifestations (excitement, relief, calmness) of GE, little is known about euphoric experiences in adolescents. The aim of this study was to explore emotional descriptions, sources, and contexts of GE in trans adolescents. Method We conducted a netnographic study utilizing text data (N = 201 threads) from three online forums for trans adolescents. We employed a qualitative content analysis with inductive and deductive categories. Results GE was described by emotions of excitement, groundedness, anticipation, and relief, occasionally mixed with negative feelings, resulting in ambiguity. Emotions were conveyed through expressive written language, such as describing experiences in all uppercase letters. Sources of GE were appearance- and language-based and tied to social interactions. GE was slightly more often mentioned in social interactions than when alone. Discussion Emotions and sources of GE largely overlap with those reported by trans adults. GE resulted from feelings of authenticity and being accepted and supported as the true self. We identified ambiguity as a co-occurring emotion that has not been reported prior, suggesting that gender euphoria can involve conflicting feelings rather than being purely positive. Ambiguous experiences were partially related to non-affirming family contexts, highlighting the significance of family support.