“My research on trans parents affirms the reality of trans joy,” Derek P. Siegel writes. “I found that while many have navigated discrimination in their parenting journeys, they also have fulfilling parent-child relationships, often with the support of partners, families of origin and their communities.”
Derek P. Siegel
Derek P. Siegel is a Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology at UMass Amherst.
He is a sociologist and feminist scholar who examines how inequalities manifest at every stage of human reproduction, including family formation, parenting and abortion. Siegel's dissertation examines how race, class and gender shape trans women's ability to become parents and sustain families. Using semi-structured interviews with 50 transgender women of diverse racial and class backgrounds, Siegel explores how interpersonal relationships and institutional contexts produce and reinforce these disparities. His work has appeared in Sociological Forum, Sociology Compass, Social Science & Medicine, and Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, and Technoscience.