Affiliation:
1. School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK
Abstract
This exploratory qualitative study aimed to find out more about how the children’s social work system interacts with non-binary parents. It highlights the specific detriment that can be faced by non-binary people hoping to adopt or foster in the United Kingdom. Three key themes emerged: (1) Barriers for non-binary carers, (2) Prejudice in adoption and fostering matching processes and (3) Intersectional disadvantage. The study found that non-binary people experience specific detriment when endeavouring to start or grow their families, examining how cisgenderism operates to privilege some identities over others. Multiple barriers affect the way non-binary people try and navigate how their family lives in a society that is organised around binary gender identities. Cisgenderism can subtly and pervasively exert a devaluing of identities that sit outside of entrenched binary gender norms, influencing how people can understand and express their gender identities within society.