Controlling Partner Dynamics in Transgender/Nonbinary Young Adults’ Romantic Relationships: Exploring the Roles of Cissexism-Related Beliefs and Material-Need Insecurity
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Controlling partner dynamics—when a person’s sexual or romantic partner exerts disproportionate control over their behavior and/or joint decisions—can adversely impact sexual and mental health. For transgender and/or nonbinary (TNB) young adults, cissexism—the system of power relations that marginalizes TNB people in favor of cisgender people—may contribute to controlling partner dynamics. However, mechanisms linking cissexism to controlling partner dynamics remain underexplored. Using data from a cross-sectional online survey of romantically partnered U.S. TNB young adults (N=393; 18-30 years old; 50% nonbinary; 56% people of color), we tested two mediation pathways from interpersonal cissexism to controlling partner dynamics: (1) a cissexism-related beliefs pathway, in which cissexist rejection contributes to beliefs that may cause young adults to feel socially and emotionally dependent on romantic partners, and (2) a material-need insecurity pathway, in which cissexist discrimination contributes to material-need insecurity, leaving young adults dependent on romantic partners for needs such as food and housing. We tested individual paths using generalized linear models, then tested mediation pathways using natural effects mediation analysis, adjusting for age, gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and partner gender. The cissexism-related beliefs pathway was not supported. However, results supported the material-need insecurity pathway—namely, cissexist discrimination was positively associated with controlling partner dynamics (b=0.15; P=.012), with a significant joint indirect effect via material-need insecurity (food insecurity and housing instability; b=0.05; P=.022). Reducing TNB young adults’ vulnerability to controlling partner dynamics may require structural changes (e.g., laws, policies, norms) to prevent cissexist discrimination and material-need insecurity.
