This post was co-authored by Valentine Webster, Mitacs Intern at Clinical Addictions Research and Equity Laboratory at Toronto Metropolitan University

About 0.3 to 0.6 percent of adults identify as transgender or gender-diverse (TGD) in the United States and Canada (TGD; Statistics Canada, 2021; Herman et al., 2022). TGD refers to those whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth (SAAB). Some examples of TGD identities are transgender, non-binary, agender, and genderfluid.

TGD individuals and communities often face negative experiences, such as discrimination and victimization, which can negatively impact their mental well-being (Tebbe & Moradi, 2016). For instance, these stressors experienced by TGD people may increase the risk of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury, suicidal ideation, and substance use (Lipson et al., 2019; Wanta et al., 2019; Virupaksha et al., 2019). Another source of distress that TGD individuals may experience occurs when their gender identity and SAAB do not align, which is referred to as “gender dysphoria” (Griffiths et al., 2025).

While it is helpful to understand these distressing experiences in TGD individuals, it is also important to consider their positive experiences related to gender, which can increase happiness and overall well-being. Unfortunately, these positive experiences remain understudied. They are important to explore because they celebrate trans joy and resilience, and positive gender experiences may help with addressing sources of distress like gender dysphoria.

The term “gender euphoria” has risen in popularity in both queer and scientific communities, but what does it mean? Gender euphoria describes the positive feelings and emotions that are associated with affirmation of one’s gender identity (Austin et al., 2022; Beischel et al., 2021). These feelings can include, but are not limited to, joy, confidence, comfort in one’s body, certainty, contentedness, and satisfaction or “rightness” in one’s gender identity and/or presentation (Austin et al., 2022; Beischel et al., 2021).

In fact, feelings of gender euphoria that stem from affirmation of one’s gender identity are associated with a number of benefits, such as increased resilience, increased sexual well-being,........

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