scholarly journals Gender in a Box? The Paradoxes of Recognition beyond the Gender Binary

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-241
Author(s):  
Sofia Aboim
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Individual Identity ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Identity Recognition ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Gender Regimes ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Identity Model ◽  
And Gender

The growing visibility of trans and gender-nonconforming individuals paved the way for a novel politics of transgender recognition in the legal sphere and state-governed public policies. Considering that the possibilities for registering multiple genders beyond male or female are taking effect in several countries, this article examines recent developments and claims that recognition is complicit with misrecognition for two main reasons. Firstly, because models of recognition tend to equalize all the interactions and all the fields of social life. Drawing on Axel Honneth’s notion of spheres of recognition, I argue that inasmuch as different forms of recognition (legal, moral, affective) are governed by different norms and gender regimes, the dynamics of recognition produce misrecognition. Secondly, because legal and institutional recognition tends to reify individual identity. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s critique of the identity model of recognition, I contend that the identity recognition model tends to impose a norm rather than recognizing diversity. Therefore, gender identity categories can—through a process of reification—block the entitlement to affirm one’s self-determined gender identity. The paradoxical dynamics of recognition are empirically illustrated through an analysis of third-gender markers and their effects upon the lives and narratives of trans and gender-nonconforming individuals. By examining the case of Nepal in comparative perspective with other developments in Asia and South America, it is demonstrated that the identity model of recognition is complicit with feelings and practices of misrecognition.

scholarly journals Mainstream Psychology And The Gender Binary: Toward An Account Of Becoming "Non-Binary"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T. Vasilovsky
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Gender Identities ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Binary Logic ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Genealogical Analysis ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

The gender binary haunts mainstream psychology’s history of medicalizing trans and gender nonconforming people, particularly its construction of their gender identities as psychopathological and in need of treatment for violating the binary logic of normative (cis) development. Drawing on interviews with 24 participants who identified as “non-binary,” this dissertation advances: 1) a genealogical analysis of the construction, interpretation, and administration of “transgenderism” (psychology’s parlance) which elucidates the discipline’s maintenance of the gender binary through said construction, interpretation, and administration; and (2) an account of “becoming” gendered (non-binary, in this case) as an alternative to the mainstream models of gender identity development. Becoming (a) shifts from the etiological “why” to the psychosocial “how” (as in, how to go about assembling oneself as non-binary; labels and pronouns are key); (b) eschews teleology (there is no end goal with regard to embodiment); (c) privileges gender self-determination; (d) attends to intersectionality; and (e) foregrounds intersubjectivity. The participants were largely concerned with asserting the validity of their gender identities as non-binary, which are routinely dismissed and invalidated, and this dissertation works toward undoing psychology’s own invalidating practices.

scholarly journals Mainstream Psychology And The Gender Binary: Toward An Account Of Becoming "Non-Binary"

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T. Vasilovsky
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Gender Identities ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Binary Logic ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
Genealogical Analysis ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

The gender binary haunts mainstream psychology’s history of medicalizing trans and gender nonconforming people, particularly its construction of their gender identities as psychopathological and in need of treatment for violating the binary logic of normative (cis) development. Drawing on interviews with 24 participants who identified as “non-binary,” this dissertation advances: 1) a genealogical analysis of the construction, interpretation, and administration of “transgenderism” (psychology’s parlance) which elucidates the discipline’s maintenance of the gender binary through said construction, interpretation, and administration; and (2) an account of “becoming” gendered (non-binary, in this case) as an alternative to the mainstream models of gender identity development. Becoming (a) shifts from the etiological “why” to the psychosocial “how” (as in, how to go about assembling oneself as non-binary; labels and pronouns are key); (b) eschews teleology (there is no end goal with regard to embodiment); (c) privileges gender self-determination; (d) attends to intersectionality; and (e) foregrounds intersubjectivity. The participants were largely concerned with asserting the validity of their gender identities as non-binary, which are routinely dismissed and invalidated, and this dissertation works toward undoing psychology’s own invalidating practices.

Reproductive Health in LGBTQ Populations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marybeth Meservey ◽  
Yvonne Gomez-Carrion
Keyword(s):  
Culturally Competent ◽  
Preventive Healthcare ◽  
Culturally Competent Care ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
The Past ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Healthcare Experiences ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Lay Public

The healthcare community and lay public have become more aware of transgender (TG) people in the past decade as celebrities have publicly transitioned and activists have pushed back against restrictive laws. Movies, television, nonfiction books, and novels increasingly represent the experience of people who are TG. News organizations and entertainment outlets have given attention to the lives, needs, and challenges of TG and gender-nonconforming individuals. Nonetheless, TG individuals are often fearful when seeking healthcare. Experiences of shame, judgment, and rejection with providers lead to anxiety in future encounters. The number of clinical providers who feel prepared to offer care for TG individuals is limited. Many TG individuals have been denied basic primary and preventive healthcare as a result of their TG status. Understanding the concepts of TG and gender nonconformance expands the skill set of the healthcare professional for providing culturally competent care to all patients and their family members. This review contains 26 figures, and 59 references. Key Words: cis-sexual, gender binary, gender confirmation surgery, gender dysphoria, gender nonconforming, intersex, LGBTQ, queer, transgender, WPATH

scholarly journals The Challenge of Implementing Preferred Gender Pronouns: Queer Autonomy in the Age of Information Technologies

2020 ◽  
pp. 6-16
Author(s):  
Zooey Sophia Pook
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Neoliberal Capitalism ◽  
The Us ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Age Of Information

A preferred gender pronoun or PGP is the gender pronoun, or set of gender pronouns, an individual uses to represent themselves and by which they would like others to use when they represent them (PFLAG). The use of PGPs is meant to show respect to the autonomy of individuals whose gender identity may not conform to the appearance of others, or individuals whose identity is gender non-binary (HRC). The use of PGPs is suggested as a best practice by nearly every major LGBT+ organization in the US (PFLAG, HRC, etc.). Today, systems for implementing PGPs exist everywhere from college applications, hospital intake forms, dating websites, and beyond. While the use of PGPs shows respect for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, these practices have unintended consequences as they contribute to the ever-expanding economies of data collection, made possible through the rise of information technologies. This work will explore questions of economy and power related to the collection of PGPs and the challenge of queer autonomy in the age of neoliberal capitalism.

scholarly journals Institutional Change and Transgender Employment

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 515-531
Author(s):  
Alex Redcay ◽  
Wade Luquet
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Code Of Ethics ◽  
Workplace Discrimination ◽  
Legal Cases ◽  
Identity Recognition ◽  
The Social ◽  
Locker Room ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Policies And Practices

The purpose of this paper is to recommend non-discriminatory policies and practices regarding transgender individuals in the workplace. This paper will summarize workplace discrimination legal cases involving transgender individuals. Specifically, employers can be held financially responsible if they fire or discriminate against transgender individuals on the basis of gender identity and gender expression and can be required to use affirmed pronouns, revise policies, and provide training to employees regarding non-discrimination. Employers cannot discriminate against transgender individuals for transitioning, cannot prevent transgender individuals from using a particular bathroom or locker room, and cannot require employees to medically transition prior to gender identity recognition. Employers can be required to allow medical services related to transgender care. Finally, transgender individuals are a protected class under Title VII. This paper discusses the historical and current legal cases that prevent employment discrimination and proposes policies and practices. Recommendations for social workers include creating a sufficient non-discrimination policy, consulting with experts, becoming recognized on an equality index, educating others by not shaming them, and following the social work code of ethics.

scholarly journals Assessing Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Asylum Claims: Towards a Transgender Studies Framework for Particular Social Group and Persecution

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariza Avgeri
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Burden Of Proof ◽  
Refugee Status ◽  
Transgender Studies ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Sexuality And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Human Rights Norms

In this article, I focus on gender identity and gender expression as grounds for international protection. After clarifying issues of terminology and theoretical framework, namely Transgender Studies, I criticize the current framework for determining membership in a Particular Social Group (PSG) for the purposes of the Refugee Convention, drawing on Berg and Millbank's work on the concept of self-identification and gender non-conformity as a means to assess transgender asylum claims (2013). I problematize the issues arising in the assessment of well-founded fear of persecution and the form it may take in transgender and gender non-conforming asylum claims. Drawing connections between sexuality and gender identity/expression claims, I attempt to provide a humanizing and depathologized framework for assessing the credibility of transgender and gender non-conforming applicants. Finally, by critiquing the work of Hathaway and Pobjoy and drawing from current human rights norms, I reflect on how to make good law with transgender cases without reproducing medicalized notions of gender identity or placing all the burden of proof on the applicants. In so doing, this article attempts to achieve a balance between theoretical and practical challenges that arise in the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) process involving transgender and gender non-conforming applicants. This article serves as an attempt to critically review the existing scholarship within the framework of transgender studies and offers insights for a refined framework of refugee status determination based on an inclusive reading of Particular Social Group and persecution drawing on the reading of crucial case law from anglophone countries.

scholarly journals Toward More Inclusive Gender Identity Measurement in Speech, Language, and Hearing Practice and Research

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 1710-1715
Author(s):  
Brandon Merritt
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Gender Nonconforming ◽  
Research Participants ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Gender Diverse ◽  
Gender Minorities ◽  
Optimal Health ◽  
And Gender

Purpose This article discusses current trends in clinical and research settings for collecting gender identity demographic information and argues for clinicians and researchers in communication disorders and sciences to adopt a two-question method for measuring the gender identity of clients and research participants. Traditional collection of gender demographic information has been constrained to a single question format with a binary response option. Increasing numbers of individuals across the life span identify with gender minorities such as transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming, among others, and the traditional format for obtaining gender-identity related information is insufficient to capture and document this increasing diversity. An example of a two-question method for measuring gender identity demographic information is provided. The benefits and challenges of adopting such a measure in clinical and laboratory settings are discussed. Conclusions Gender minorities constitute a growing proportion of clinical caseloads and research participants within speech-language pathology and audiology. The adoption of demographic measurement tools that are inclusive of varying gender identities is necessary to acknowledge and quantify this growth and is a first step in normalizing transgender visibility in clinical and research settings. Such a move advances cultural responsiveness within the professions and promotes competent care and optimal health outcomes for individuals who are gender diverse.

Waste Culture and Isolation: Prisons, Toilets, and Gender Segregation

Hypatia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 668-689
Author(s):  
Perry Zurn
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Historical Development ◽  
Gender Segregation ◽  
Explanatory Theory ◽  
Transgender People ◽  
Gender Binary ◽  
The Social ◽  
And Gender

After reviewing the use of isolation in US prisons and public restrooms to confine transgender people in solitary cells and single‐occupancy bathrooms, I propose an explanatory theory of eliminative space. I argue that prisons and toilets are eliminative spaces: that is, spaces of waste management that use layers of isolation to sanctify social or individual waste, at the outer and inner limits of society. As such, they function according to an eliminative logic. Eliminative logic, as I develop it, involves three distinct but interrelated mechanisms: 1) purification of the social center, through 2) iterative segregation, presuming and enforcing 3) the reduced relationality of marginal persons. By evaluating the historical development and contemporary function of prisons and restrooms, I demonstrate that both seek to protect the gender binary through waves of segregation by sex, race, disability, and gender identity. I further argue that both assume the thin relationality of, in this case, transgender people, who are conceived of as impervious to the effects of isolation and thus always already isolable. I conclude that, if we are to counter the violence of these isolation practices, we not only need to think holistically about eliminative spaces and logic, but also to richly reconceptualize relationality.

Fragmented Recognition: Gender Identity between Moral and Legal Spheres

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Aboim
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Identity Recognition ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Identity Model

Abstract With the growing recognition of transgender individuals, gender identity laws are slowly embracing a paradigm in which self-determination becomes an entitlement. As the possibilities for either abolishing or registering multiple genders now seem politically plausible, this article examines global developments and identifies different legal models of identity recognition via a comparison of the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Nepal. Drawing on Axel Honneth’s notion of spheres of recognition and Nancy Fraser’s critique of the identity model of recognition, it is argued that not only does identity recognition implicate misrecognition but also that different forms of recognition work in ways that produce fragmentation and disjunction.

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