Subjective personal and collective benefits of alcohol use in UK trans and gender diverse communities: a cross-sectional survey.

AIMS: This study sought to understand the subjective individual and collective benefits of alcohol use for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people in the UK.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey, co-produced with a TGD community advisory group, was open for responses from 1 February until 31 March 2022. Respondents were UK-based TGD adults who reported current or historical alcohol use. Those included in this sub-sample (n = 295) provided a valid response to one of two open-ended questions (OQ) concerning the subjective benefits of alcohol to TGD individuals (OQ1) and the perceived role of alcohol in UK TGD communities (OQ2). Data from these questions were collated (n = 455 responses) and coded using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

An overarching theme was identified, 'belonging', under which two themes were developed to answer each question. For individuals, alcohol enhanced intimacy and relieved pain, and was described to have a role in bringing the TGD community together and facilitating gender exploration and affirmation.

CONCLUSION

TGD people experience a range of benefits from using alcohol, attributable to its anxiolytic and analgesic properties. Many respondents felt alcohol had a specific role in their communities, associated with the relative safety of alcohol-serving venues for TGD people.