A Qualitative Examination of Consideration and Practice of Consensual Nonmonogamy Among Sexual and Gender Minority Couples

Transgender (trans) individuals and their partners demonstrate significant diversity in terms of sexuality and approaches to romantic relationships. Over 3/4 (77%) of trans individuals identify as sexual minorities, but little is known about how they negotiate sexual and gender identities within a relationship. Additionally, findings have indicated that trans individuals and their partners utilize nonmonogamous relationship structures, but research focused on how these relationships develop and the function of consensual nonmonogamy (CNM) is limited. The goal of this study was to address these gaps through an exploration of CNM in a sample of trans individuals and their partners who participated in a larger study about sex, sexuality, and sexual practice. The subsample consisted of 12 individuals (6 couples) who discussed CNM as part of their broader discussion of relationships and sexual practice. Four individuals (2 couples) were currently engaged in relationships with extradyadic partners. In terms of sexual identity, 67% of participants (n = 8) identified as bisexual-queer-pansexual. A majority of participants identified as transgender (67%; n = 8), and participants' ages ranged from 23 to 39 (M = 30.2, SD = 5.5). Transcripts were analyzed using Charmaz's (2014) approach to grounded theory. Themes identified during analysis highlight factors that facilitate and hinder the development of CNM relationships and individual and relationship factors that impact CNM relationships among trans individuals and their partners.