Showing papers on "Transgender published in 2002"
TL;DR: Investigation found that experiencing economic discrimination because one is transgendered had the strongest association with experiencing a transgender related violent incident, and economic discrimination was related totransgendered people's experience with violence.
Abstract: There is a pervasive pattern of discrimination and prejudice against transgendered people within society. Both economic discrimination and experiencing violence could be the result of a larger social climate that severely sanctions people for not conforming to society's norms concerning gender; as such, both would be strongly associated with each other. Questionnaires were distributed to people either through events or through volunteers, and made available upon the World Wide Web. A sample of 402 cases was collected over the span of 12 months (April 1996-April 1997). We found that over half the people within this sample experienced some form of harassment or violence within their lifetime, with a quarter experiencing a violent incident. Further investigation found that experiencing economic discrimination because one is transgendered had the strongest association with experiencing a transgender related violent incident. Economic discrimination was related to transgendered people's experience wit...
799 citations
TL;DR: Homeless youths who identify themselves as members of sexual minority groups are at increased risk for negative outcomes and recommendations for treatment programs are discussed.
Abstract: Objectives. The goal of this study was to identify differences between gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) homeless youths and their heterosexual counterparts in terms of physical and mental health difficulties.Methods. A sample of 84 GLBT adolescents was matched in regard to age and self-reported gender with 84 heterosexual adolescents. The 2 samples were compared on a variety of psychosocial variables.Results. GLBT adolescents left home more frequently, were victimized more often, used highly addictive substances more frequently, had higher rates of psychopathology, and had more sexual partners than heterosexual adolescents.Conclusions. Homeless youths who identify themselves as members of sexual minority groups are at increased risk for negative outcomes. Recommendations for treatment programs and implications for public health are discussed.
560 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: Meyerowitz's "How Sex Changed" as mentioned in this paper is a fascinating social, cultural and medical history of transsexuality in the United States, from early 20th-century sex experiments in Europe, to the saga of Christine Jorgensen, whose change surgery made headlines in 1952, to today's growing transgender movement.
Abstract: "How Sex Changed" is a fascinating social, cultural and medical history of transsexuality in the United States. Joanne Meyerowitz tells a powerful human story about people who had a deep and unshakable desire to transform their bodily sex. In the last century when many challenged the social categories and hierarchies of race, class and gender, transsexuals questioned biological sex itself, the category that seemed most fundamental and fixed of all. From early 20th-century sex experiments in Europe, to the saga of Christine Jorgensen, whose change surgery made headlines in 1952, to today's growing transgender movement, Meyerowitz gives us the first serious history of transsexuality. She focuses on the stories of transsexual men and women themselves, as well as a large supporting cast of doctors, scientists, journalists, lawyers, judges, feminists and gay liberationists, as they debated the big questions of medical ethics, nature versus nurture, self and society, and the scope of human rights. In this story of transsexuality, Meyerowitz shows how new definitions of sex circulated in popular culture, science, medicine and the law, and she elucidates the tidal shifts in our social, moral and medical beliefs over the 20th century, away from sex as an evident biological certainty and toward an understanding of sex as something malleable and complex. "How Sex Changed" is an intimate story that illuminates the very changes that shape our understanding of sex, gender and sexuality today.
415 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe current research on prevalence and patterns of substance use and abuse in LGBT populations, examines potential risk and protective factors associated with substance abuse in these populations, and discusses implications for prevention, including prevention research.
Abstract: Despite many gaps in the research on substance abuse and sexual orientation, recent data suggest that, overall, substance use among lesbians and gay men—particularly alcohol use—has declined over the past two decades. However, both heavy drinking and use of drugs other than alcohol appear to be prevalent among young lesbians and gay men. Much less is known about bisexual and transgender women and men, but these groups appear to be at heightened risk for substance abuse. This paper describes current research on prevalence and patterns of substance use and abuse in LGBT populations, examines potential risk and protective factors associated with substance abuse in these populations, and discusses implications for prevention, including prevention research.
308 citations
01 Apr 2002
TL;DR: In the 2001 National School Climate Survey on school-related experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students, the authors reported experiences of homophobic remarks; verbal, physical, and sexual harassment; and comfort within their schools.
Abstract: This paper presents data from the 2001 National School Climate Survey on school-related experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. LGBT students described experiences of homophobic remarks; verbal, physical, and sexual harassment; and comfort within their schools. They described experiences with racial and sexual harassment and feeling unsafe because of sexual orientation, gender expression, religion, or disability and discussed school-based resources and supports. For many respondents, schools were an unsafe and dangerous place where homophobic remarks could frequently be heard, often by faculty and staff. Most respondents reported being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression. A large number reported experiencing incidents of physical harassment, physical assault, and sexual harassment. Transgender students reported feeling particularly vulnerable because of their gender expression. Certain schools provided resources to improve LGBT students' quality of life. Many schools had gay-straight alliances, and LGET people, history, and events were mentioned in classroom curricula. Nevertheless, the number of youth reporting acts of harassment and victimization far outweighed the number of youth reporting such resources. Results underscored the importance of asking youth about their experiences with all forms of prejudice. (Contains 68 figures and 2 tables.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
286 citations
TL;DR: It is supported that LGBT issues have been neglected by public health research and that research unrelated to sexually transmitted diseases is lacking.
Abstract: Objectives. This study determined to what extent lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations have been studied over the past 20 years of public health research. Methods. From MEDLINE English-language articles on human subjects published between 1980 and 1999, I identified articles that included LGBT individuals. The abstracts were analyzed with a coding procedure that categorized the content by topic, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. Results. LGBT issues were addressed by 3777 articles, or 0.1% of all Medline articles; 61% of the articles were disease-specific, and 85% omitted reference to race/ethnicity. Research unrelated to sexually transmitted diseases addressed lesbians and gay men with similar frequency, whereas bisexual persons were less frequently considered, and the least amount of research focused on transgender individuals. Conclusions. Findings supported that LGBT issues have been neglected by public health research and that research unrelated to sexually transmitted dise...
286 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that most participants did not disclose to their parents during high school and perceived their parents and family members as offering limited emotional, appraisal, and informational support, while non-family members, which included peers and nonfamily adults, were more supportive than family members.
Abstract: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth (LGBT) continue to face extreme discrimination within the school environment. Existing literature suggests that LGBT youth are at high risk for a number of health problems, including suicide ideation and attempts, harassment, substance abuse, homelessness, and declining school performance. This exploratory study consists of face-to-face interviews with 12 male and female participants, 18-21 years old, who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The purpose of the study is to determine the types of social support (emotional, appraisal, instrumental and informational) available to these young adults in high school. In addition, the study examines the connection between social support and sexual identity development. Participants found non-family members, which included peers and non-family adults, to be more supportive than family members. More specifically, participants perceived heterosexual and LGBT-identified friends and non-family adults as providing emotional and instrumental support. However, participants perceived limitations to the emotional support they received from heterosexual peers to whom they disclosed their orientation. In addition to providing emotional support, peers and adults who also identified as LGBT provided valuable informational and appraisal, support. Finally, most participants did not disclose to their parents during high school and perceived their parents and family members as offering limited emotional, appraisal and informational support. Confronted with their own sense of alienation and confusion, as well as the overwhelmingly negative messages about homosexuality in their home and school environments, respondents described their sexual identity formation as a process characterized by varying degrees of denial and acceptance. The need for multiple resources emerged as a major theme from participant responses to questions about what types of services and support they would have valued from their high school. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth Despite increasing visibility, persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) continue to face extreme social, legal and institutional discrimination within the United States. LGBT youth are an extremely vulnerable subset of the larger gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population. Given the degree of homophobia in our society, adolescents who are struggling with issues of sexual orientation face incredible challenges and lack many of the fundamental support systems available to their heterosexual peers (Gonsiorek, 1988). While estimates of the number of gays and lesbians range anywhere from 3% to 10% of the population, the latter figure is more widely accepted (Fontaine, 1998; Robinson, 1994; Marinoble, 1998; Omizo, Omizo, & Okamoto, 1998). Given these estimates, one can safely assume that a significant minority of adolescents in primary and secondary schools either self-identify as LGBT or are questioning their sexuality. The widespread social stigmatization of homosexuality has been blamed for a myriad of social and health problems that can disproportionately impact LGBT youth (Hetrick & Martin, 1987; Robinson, 1994; Remafedi, 1987; Savin-Williams, 1994; Center for Population Options, 1992). Many researchers have particularly focused on the lack of social support systems for lesbian and gay youth within our schools, identifying the classroom as the most homophobic of all social institutions (Elia, 1993; Unks, 1994; Governors' Task Force on Bias-Related Violence, 1988; Remafedi, 1987). This article seeks to understand lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth and available support systems in the high school environment. Overall, the literature on issues facing LGBT youth is rather limited (Radkowsky & Siegel, 1997; Fontaine, 1998) and much of the past research on this population has come from sources other than the youth themselves (Robinson, 1994). …
230 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the evolving nature of the transgender community, discuss mental health issues and counseling interventions for use with transgendered clients, and present a case study detailing the progression of counseling with 1 trans-gendered client.
Abstract: The emergent consciousness and political activism within the transgender community has important implications for the field of counseling. In the current paradigm, the focus has shifted from using surgical and hormonal interventions and thereby enabling transgendered persons to “pass” within the traditional gender binary of society to affirming the unique identities of transgendered persons. To prepare counselors, counselor educators, and counseling supervisors for this important challenge, the authors describe the evolving nature of the transgender community, discuss mental health issues and counseling interventions for use with transgendered clients, and present a case study detailing the progression of counseling with 1 transgendered client.
222 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, anthropologists and transidenti* ed individuals alike use transgender-native models to ensure a careful, responsible representation of individuals outside our culture, while simultaneously committed to supporting transgender/transsexual scholarship, representation, and activism.
Abstract: We come to this discussion from anthropological experience as well as from personal transsexual
experience. As the self-conscious subjects of our own inquiry into how anthropologists and transidenti* ed individuals alike use transgender-native models, we are ultimately invested in ensuring
careful, responsible representation of individuals outside our culture. We are simultaneously committed to supporting transgender/transsexual scholarship, representation, and activism. If a common
complaint among trans individuals is that their lives and identities are violated and misrepresented
for the goals of scholarship, then it behooves us to make sure that we do not commit the same o/ ense
against others for the goal of political advancement.
179 citations
TL;DR: Transsexuality may be understood as a (psychiatrically defined) state of being that assumes the preexistence of two sexes between which between which transsexuality is assumed as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: ostmode.m articulations of the question, to pass or not to pass, are central to current transgender/transsexual dialogues. According to some transgenderists, passing as the \"other sex\" is the ultimate sellout. Here, passing is portrayed as complicit with normative gendering and therefore as contrary to the gender-transgressive ethic of transgender politics. In previous work (Roen 1998, 2001), I have described transgenderism as seeking to challenge various aspects of the psychomedical construction of \"gender identity\" and of transsexuality. Here, transgenderism ay be understood as referring to a political positioning that draws from postmodern notions of fluidity (for both bodies and genders). Transsexuality may be understood, in more modernist terms, as a (psychiatrically defined) state of being that assumes the preexistence of two sexes between which
174 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors attempt to enhance understanding and communication about different sexual issues by offering definitions to common terms such as sex, gender, gender identity and sexual idea-tions.
Abstract: This article attempts to enhance understanding and communication about different sexual issues. It starts by offering definitions to common terms such as sex, gender, gender identity and sexual ide...
TL;DR: Wieringa and Blackwood as discussed by the authors explored the relationship between identity and sexual desire in the context of women's sexualities in South-West Sumatra and South-Indonesia.
Abstract: 1. Introduction, by Saskia E. Wieringa and Evelyn Blackwood2. Sapphic Shadows:Challenging the Silence in the Study of Sexuality, by Evelyn Blackwood and Saskia E. WieringaIndigenous Histories Colonial Legacies3. The Politics of Identities and Languages:Lesbian Desire in Ancient and Modern India, by Giti Thadani4. Lesbians, Men-Women, and Two-Spirits:Homosexuality and Gender in Native American CulturesErotic Intimacies and Cultural Identities5. "What's Identity Got to Do with It?" Rethinking Identity in Light of the Mati Work in Suriname, by Gloria Wekker6. Let Them Take Ecstasy: Class and Jakarta Lesbians, by Alison J. Murray7. Women in Lesotho and the (Western) Construction of Homophobia, by KendallDoing Masculinity:Butches, Female Bodies,and Transgendered Identities8. Tombois in West Sumatra: Constructing Masculinity and Erotic Desire, by Evelyn Blackwood9. Desiring Bodies or Defiant Cultures:Butch-Femme Lesbians in Jakarta and Lima, by Saskia E. Wieringa10. Negotiating Transnational Sexual Economies: Femaleand Same-Sex Sexuality in "Tahiti and Her Islands", by Deborah A. EllistonNationalism, Feminism,and Lesbian/Gay Rights Movements11. How Homosexuality Became "Un-African": The Case of Zimbabwe, by Margrete Aarmo12. Women's Sexuality and the Discourse on Asian Values:Cross-Dressing in Malaysia, by Tan beng hui13. Sexual Preference:the Ugly Duckling of Feminist Demands:The Lesbian Movement in Mexico, by Norma Mogro
TL;DR: The emergent consciousness and political activism emanating from the transgender community have important implications for counselor education as mentioned in this paper, and counselors need to model for their students a "trans-positive" approach to counseling that affirms and celebrates individuals with nontraditional gender identities.
Abstract: The emergent consciousness and political activism emanating from the transgender community have important implications for counselor education. Treatment issues are no longer exclusively centered on aiding “gender dysphoric” individuals to assume either a “male” or “female” gender but rather on exploring alternative gender identifications and options. Counselor educators and supervisors need to model for their students a “trans-positive” approach to counseling that affirms and celebrates individuals with nontraditional gender identities.
TL;DR: The findings indicate that HIV/AIDS is a serious health concern facing the transgender community and HIV/ AIDS prevention must specifically target transgendered people, including FTMs who, despite being at risk, have been largely ignored.
Abstract: This study explores HIV status and HIV-related risk factors among transgendered people. A needs assessment survey developed with the help of transgendered people was used to conduct face-to-face interviews with 81 transgendered persons, 49 male-to-females (MTFs) and 32 female-to-males (FTMs). The findings indicate that HIV/AIDS is a serious health concern facing the transgender community. The majority of respondents engaged in at least one high risk sexual activity during the past three months, were willing to have high risk sex in the future and did not believe they were susceptible to infection. FTMs have a significantly lower level of AIDS knowledge than MTFs (p < 0.01). Over half (56.7%) of FTMs have not been tested for HIV/AIDS. Efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among the transgender community are urgently needed. HIV/AIDS prevention must specifically target transgendered people, including FTMs who, despite being at risk, have been largely ignored.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the accounts of a group of parents with transgendered adolescents who try to build an intelligible story of the young people's gender identity and how their story shapes their coping strategies.
Abstract: In this article I describe the accounts of a group of parents with transgendered adolescents. I look specifically at how the parents try to build an intelligible story of the young people’s gender identity and how their story shapes their coping strategies. For the qualitative study on which this article is based, I interviewed adolescents with a well-established cross-gender identification and their parents from families referred to a specialist NHS service. The first-person reports were analysed using grounded theory methodology. There were a number of suggestive findings. First, communication about gender identity issues within the family and outside was handled with enormous care; second, it was clear that these parents are aware that their response to the gender problems is a deeply moral issue; third, there was an iterative relationship between the activities of making-meaning and accepting (or not) the child’s claims, and a similar interaction between the activity of meaning-making and the tasks of...
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The authors argue for a more nuanced understanding of individualism as a tool or tactic rather than as the diametric opposite of religious communalism and explore the role of such individualism in the lives of those who are forced into it.
Abstract: The pseudonymous Sheila Larson is well known among sociologists of religion for having coined the term Sheilaism to refer to her personal belief system - an individualistic religiosity that has concerned many social commentators. Recently, however, authors such as Wuthnow (1998) and Roof (1999) have suggested that the various forms of religious individualism may be advantageous for some. Working from interviews with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Christians and former Christians, this article contributes two new angles to such discussions by 1) arguing for a more nuanced understanding of individualism as a tool or tactic rather than as the diametric opposite of religious communalism and 2) exploring the role of such individualism in the lives of those who are forced into it
Book•
01 Jan 2002
TL;DR: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students on Campus: What are they and Why Do You Need them? An Overview of This New Profession in Higher Education Assessing the Needs and Proposing Solutions The Development and Administration of Campus LGBT Centers and Offices by Brett Beemyn Documenting Their Existence: Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual students on Campus by Therese Eyermann and Ronni Sanlo Starting Your Program or Center Matching Directors and Centers or Offices: Hiring for Success Developing a Strategic Plan Developing Your Vision, Mission, Goals,
Abstract: Introduction LGBT Centers on Campus: What Are They and Why Do You Need Them? An Overview of This New Profession in Higher Education Assessing the Needs and Proposing Solutions The Development and Administration of Campus LGBT Centers and Offices by Brett Beemyn Documenting Their Existence: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students on Campus by Therese Eyermann and Ronni Sanlo Starting Your Program or Center Matching Directors and Centers or Offices: Hiring for Success Developing a Strategic Plan Developing Your Vision, Mission, Goals, and Evaluation: Building Your Action Plan Advisory Boards Identifying and Providing Programs and Services Selecting and Implementing Services: The Basics of an Active Center or Office Safe Zones and Allies Programs Mentoring Programs by Patricia Alford-Keating Advocacy and Judicial Response LGBT Faculty, Staff, and Alumni Organizations The Power of a System-Wide Organization: The University of California LGBTI Association by Jonathan Winters Selecting and Implementing Programs The Lavender Leader: An Inqueery Into Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Leadership LGBT Peer Counselors by Christine Browning and Patricia Walsh Lavender Graduation: Acknowledging the Lives and Achievements of LGBT College Students Maintaining Your Center Managing Ancillary Staff by Steven J. Leider Creating Visibility and Positive Public Relations Funding and Development Grass-Roots Activism versus the Ivory Tower Appendix A: Directory of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education Appendix B: Campus Climate Report: Three Meta-Analysis Themes Appendix C: Summary of Recommendations for Change Appendix D: Example of Structure Appendix E: Center Director Position Description Appendix F: Pennsylvania State University's LGBT Resource Room Goals and Action Plan Appendix G: Inventory of Questions for Service Providers Appendix H: Referral Letter, Resource Guide Referral Form, and Survey of Community Practitioners Appendix I: National Organizations Appendix J: Resources for LGBT Centers, Services, Programs, and Libraries Appendix K: Announcement of the Safe Zones Program to Student and Campus Life Staff Appendix L: Testimony to the Regents of the University of California Appendix M: Associations and Agents that Provide Speakers and Entertainers Appendix N: Lavender Graduation Certificate of Distinction References Index
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the barriers that hinder their opportunities for citizenship development in three key developmental domains: family, faith, and education, and present examples of settings in which sexual minority youth have created new spaces within which to explore their identities, develop community, and create social change.
Abstract: Sexual minority youth face many challenges in their daily lives. This article considers the barriers that hinder their opportunities for citizenship development in 3 key developmental domains: family, faith, and education. Theoretical perspectives on sexuality and citizenship provide a lens through which to view examples of settings in which sexual minority youth have created new spaces within which to explore their identities, develop community, and create social change. These settings include online communities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth, and high school Gay-Straight Alliances.
TL;DR: The authors explored the workplace experiences of 120 gay men, lesbians, and transgender people who were employed as teachers, academics, and educators, and found that homophobic harassment and treatment were widespread amongst the lesbians, gay men and transgender teachers.
Abstract: This paper explores the workplace experiences of 120 gay men, lesbians, and transgender people who were employed as teachers, academics, and educators. The data, drawn from a larger collaborative research project, explored the workplace experiences of 900 gay men, lesbians, and transgender people. Homophobic harassment and treatment were widespread amongst the lesbian, gay men, and transgender teachers, academics, and educators. The paper will utilize the stories of those who experienced discrimination to explicate the issues confronting gay men, lesbians, and transgender people who work in the education system.
TL;DR: In this article, Bernstein and Reimann discuss the politics of visibility in families and the challenges faced by families in the face of same-sex attraction and sexual orientation discrimination in the U.S.
Abstract: 1. Queer Families and the Politics of Visibility, by Mary Bernstein and Renate ReimannPart 1. Relationships 2. A Member of the Funeral, by Nancy Anne Naples3. Weddings Without Marriage: Making Sense of Lesbian and Gay Commitment Rituals, by Ellen Lewin4. We Can See Them, But We Can't Hear Them: LGBT Members of African American Families, by Michael Bennett and Juan Battle5. Talking Freaks: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Families on Daytime Talk TV, by Joshua Gamson6. One Man's Story of Being Gay and Din (Navajo): A Study in Resiliency, by Margaret A. Waller and Ronald McAllen-Walker7. Family Secrets, or How to Become a Bisexual Alien Without Really Trying, by Elizabeth Randolph8. A Place Called Home: A Queer Political Economy of Mexican Immigrant Men's Family Experiences, by Lionel Cant 9. Constituting Nonmonogamies, by R. Jeffrey Ringer10. Communication in Asian American Families with Queer Members: A Relational Dialectics Perspective, by Gus A. Yep, Karen E. Lovaas, and Phillip C. HoPart 2. Parenthood 11. Affording our Families: Class Issues in Family Formation, by Terry Boggis12. Should Lesbians Count as Infertile Couples?: Antilesbian Discrimination in Assisted Reproduction, by Julien S. Murphy13. Protecting our Parent-Child Relationships: Understanding the Strengths and Weaknesses of Second-Parent Adoption, by Susan Dalton14. My Daddy Loves Your Daddy: A Gay Father Encounters a Social Movement, by John Miller15. Alma Mater: Family 'Outings' and the Making of the Modern Other Mother (MOM), by Maureen Sullivan16. Lesbian Mothers at Work, by Renate Reimann17. "Aside from one little tiny detail, we are so incredibly normal": Perspectives of Children in Lesbian Stepfamilies, by Janet M. WrightPart 3. Political Activism 18. Building Common Ground: Strategies for Grassroots Organizing on Same-Sex Marriage, by Irene Javors with Renate Reimann19. "What if?": The Legal Consequences of Marriage and the Legal Needs of Lesbian and Gay Male Couples, by David Chambers20. Take My Domestic Partner, Please: Gays and Marriage in the Era of the Visible, by Suzanna Walters21. Defense, Morality, Civil Rights, and Family: The Evolution of Lesbian and Gay Issues in the U.S. Congress, by Donald P. Haider-Markel22. Political Organizing and the Limits of Civil Rights: Gay Marriage and Queer Families, by Randall Halle23. Transgenderism and Sexual Orientation: More than a Marriage of Convenience?, by Mary Coombs24. Gender, Queer Family Policies, and the Limits of Law, by Mary Bernstein
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the role of college students with disabilities as multiple cultural minorities with a focus on educational environments, institutional issues, and strategies for university personnel, and discuss the need for service needs involving disabilities, identities and adjustment strategies.
Abstract: College students with disabilities who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) represent diverse cultural minorities with multiple service needs involving disabilities, identities, and adjustment strategies. These students are usually accommodated in the college environment because of their disability while simultaneously marginalized based on their sexual orientation. This article discusses LGBT college students with disabilities as multiple cultural minorities with a focus on educational environments, institutional issues, and strategies for university personnel. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Book•
01 Feb 2002
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present Approaching Transgender Bodies and Homophobia as a Subject Part 3: Sex: From Designation to Discrimination, a survey of the state of the art.
Abstract: Introduction Part 1: Approaching Transgender Bodies Part 2: Homophobia as a Subject Part 3: Sex: From Designation to Discrimination.
01 Jul 2002
TL;DR: The authors found that older gay people tend to live out the last decades of their lives very much as they have lived the middle decades, whereby the stress and pain of living through years as the targets of homophobia and discrimination do serve to prepare gay elders for the stresses of getting old.
Abstract: Many of the same concerns, but different barriers compared to heterosexual peers. Although they share many of the same human needs and concerns with their heterosexual peers, gay and lesbian elders often experience particular barriers as well. Those barriers include discrimination; unequal treatment under Social Security, pension plans, and 401(k)s; and concerns related to housing, healthcare, and long-term care. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) elderly population, currently estimated at from i million to 3 million people, will increase to between 4 million and 6 million by 2030 (Cahill, South, and Spade, 2000). We can only estimate because most research does not ask about sexual orientation or gender identity. Gerontologists and government researchers could capture much needed information on gay elders by adding a standard sexual orientation "self-identifier" to all surveys. Many gerontologists do acknowledge the need for more research on LGBT elders. But the limited research that does exist indicates that older gay people tend to live out the last decades of their lives very much as they have lived the middle decades. Several studies point to a phenomenon called "crisis competence," whereby the stress and pain of living through years as the targets of homophobia and discrimination do serve to prepare gay elders for the stresses of getting old. In addition, LGBT baby boomers- "out"for most of their lives-are increasingly unwilling to retreat to the closet when they encounter homophobia in aging services. Most gay people of all ages have experienced both "heterosexism" and homophobia. The psychologist Gregory Herek defines heterosexism as "an ideological system that denies, denigrates and stigmatizes any non-heterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship or community." Homophobia is the fear or hatred of lesbian and gay people based on perceived or actual sexual orientation (Herek, 1992). People also experience gender-related bias because they do not fit into expected male-female gender roles (Green, 1994).. People acting out antigay bias may use derogatory language, engage in discriminatory behavior, or even perpetrate violence against LGBT people. Heterosexist attitudes and assumptions can interfere with the well-being and happiness of BT elders. As gay people grow older and rely increasingly on public programs and social services for care and assistance, they may become less independent from heterosexist institutions and peers. The fear of experiencing discrimination can reinforce social isolation and keep gay elders from making use of healthcare and other services. Gay elders often experience homophobia in senior services. For example, in a 1994 study, 46 percent of New York state's Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) -the regional entities that distribute federal funds for senior services-- reported that openly gay and lesbian elders would not be welcome at senior centers in their areas. And only ig percent of the lesbian and gay elders interviewed had any involvement with their local senior center (Lesbian and Gay Aging Issues Network, 1994). INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAMS Gay and lesbian elders have various problems in relation to the traditional income support mechanisms of Social Security, pension plans, and plans like 401k) s. Social Security. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. retirees rely on Social Security for more than half of their annual income; for 15 percent of elders, Social Security is their only source of income (Liu,1999). But lesbians and gay men in same-sex partnerships are not eligible for the spousal benefit or the survivor benefit that Social Security offers to their heterosexual counterparts. This lack of eligibility costs lesbian and gay elders hundreds of millions of dollars in unaccessed income every year. Social Security survivor benefits allow widows, widowers, and dependent children to put food on the table when the beneficiary dies. …
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide information about treatment options for transsexuals, transgenderists, and those with gender dysphoria, discussing the experiences of families and individuals during the discovery and treatment process, and offering lists of resources helpful to transgender individuals and their families.
Abstract: When transgender individuals struggle with living as the other gender, their families also struggle. Often, however, these individuals, their families, and their counselors have difficulty finding information about the transgender experience to help them with their struggles. Because little professional literature exists on such experiences, this article provides information about treatment options for transsexuals, transgenderists, and those with gender dysphoria. It discusses the experiences of families and individuals during the discovery and treatment process, and it offers lists of resources helpful to transgender individuals and their families.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The Lesbian and Gay Families Project (LGFP) as mentioned in this paper is a new study of lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender, and intersex families, focusing on aspects of the data collected from 136 women participants.
Abstract: The Lesbian and Gay Families Project is a new study of lesbian, bisexual, gay, transgender and intersex families. This article focuses on aspects of the data collected from 136 women participants l...
TL;DR: In this paper, a post-modern ethnography of the dynamics of trans-activism during the mid-1990s is presented, where the author argues that in sexuality/gender studies we must expand our understanding of identity politics in order to understand the simultaneity of constructions and deconstructions of identity and gender/sexuality movements today.
Abstract: In the United States during the 1990s, there emerged a “new” form of collective political organizing and action around “transgender” identity. In this essay, the author depicts the dynamics of transgender activism during the mid-1990s based on original research in the form of a postmodern ethnography of transgender activism. Using data from field research, interviews, and observation, the author illustrates the way that “transgender” activism was characterized by simultaneous claims to a shared “transgender” quasi-ethnic identity and the complications thereof. In particular, the author details transgender social movement processes of identity—both processes of collective identity construction and deconstruction—demonstrating that transgender politics are not simply identity politics nor deconstructive (queer) politics. Using constructionist social movement literature, the author argues that in sexuality/gender studies we must expand our understanding of “identity politics” in order to understand the simultaneity of constructions and deconstructions of identity and gender/sexuality movements today.
TL;DR: Results indicated that gender expression may relate to butch and femme women's age of first awareness of sexual orientation and gender expression; experience of discrimination and social interaction; and valuing of butch-femme identification within the queer community.
Abstract: SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of gender expression on queer women's experiences of identity, social interaction and discrimination. This article presents the results of a questionnaire, completed by 149 queer women involved in a southeastern U.S. women's community in which interactions and norms are strongly influenced by butch-femme gendering. Questionnaires ascertained participants' age of first awareness of their queer orientation and their gender expression. In relation to their gender expressions, their experience of discrimination, from both the general population and the lesbian community, was assessed. Participants were asked to specify the degree to which their gender expression was important in their social interactions and to assess the impact of butch and femme identities upon the identifying women and the lesbian community. Results indicated that gender expression may relate to butch and femme women's age of first awareness of sexual orientation and gender exp...