Non Binary Gender

This article advances the " doing gender " framework by highlighting some unique interactive challenges that nonbinary individuals encounter within the binary gender system. In order to access testimony about these experiences from a large group of people, this study turns to a genderqueer community on the social media site Reddit. Discourse analysis of discussion threads and content analysis of selfies reveal various symbolic mechanisms through which nonbinary people do, redo, and undo gender. These findings illuminate a range of strategies that people utilize to negotiate gender attribution within the gender binary system. A video abstract is available at http://tinyurl .com/y7odrxbd.

La "transessualità" descritta in un'ottica costruzionista. Nelle prime sezioni del lavoro si presentano differenti configurazioni identitarie gender bender (dal transessualismo al crossdressing, dalle identità queer a quelle transgender) in un'ottica costruzionista. Si propone di "ripensare" alle categorie di "genere" e di "sesso" come a delle costruzioni sociali e si entra nel merito dell'intersessualità e del modo in cui risulta costruita a livello sociale oltre che in ambito medico.
Il presente lavoro vuole costituire un’occasione per l’offerta di proposte operative che si pongano in coerenza rispetto ai presupposti epistemologici e teorici adottati, nonché in continuità rispetto a quanto emerso all’interno del presente contributo. In altre parole, si intende di seguito tradurre le criticità emerse nella ricerca in oggetto in occasioni per la generazione di uno scarto di paradigma che implichi tanto la rivisitazione delle produzioni teoriche in materia di transessualità, quanto l’offerta di considerazioni per la ridefinizione degli interventi da mettere in campo. Come esplicitato in esordio al lavoro, si sostiene inoltre la criticità del ruolo che le produzioni scientifiche abbiano nell’orientare i mutamenti sociali verso il riconoscimento ed il rispetto delle differenze e, dunque, la responsabilità che la scienza abbia nel farsi portatrice di un pensiero (e di azioni) finalizzato alla promozione della "salute" delle persone.
Nelle sezioni successive si presenta la ricerca, la quale è finalizzata ad indagare come risultano costruite a livello sociale e dalle persone transessuali le "realtà" della "transessualità" e delle identità di genere "femminile" e "maschile".

Tesi di laurea magistrale in Psicologia presso Università degli Studi di Padova - anno 2011

Sailor Moon, a Japanese series grounded in manga and anime, began airing translations in the West throughout the 1990s. The series provided what could be interpreted as resistance to dichotomous conceptualizations of sexuality, sex and gender. The focus of this article is the set of challenges presented by the genderqueer characters in Sailor Moon and how Westernization and English translations have worked to erase and rewrite queer identities. Arguably, Sailor Moon acts as a site to play out the contextualities and complexities of sexuality, sex and gender identities. To name Sailor Moon characters in Western specific terms would be at the expense of reducing the complexity of their identities to a categorical system whose boundaries detract and limit meaning. Queer characters in Sailor Moon are not translatable into dichotomous Western thought-categories fail us and, through their enforcement, the depth of meaning and the complexities of queer identities/desires are lost in translation. Working within Western binary systems, categories and language, many of these identities appear contradictory and incoherent. Sailor Moon characters offer a re-envisioning of identities that is not limited by Western binaric thought and cannot be easily pegged within the heterosexual matrix.

Is there such a thing as genderless narrator? How did Winterson do it?
How do we read fiction when the normal socially constructed gender markers are missing? Why is it so instinctive to place and categorize each other by sex (female/ male) and gender roles (masculine or feminine attributes)?
This critical thesis addresses the lack of ambiguously-gendered narrators in current literary fiction, focusing on Winterson, Yuknavitch, and Myles. As an agender writer, this paper looks at how to create characters that speak to the non-conforming gendered readers looking for validation, permission, and representation.

In this paper I consider how recognition of non-binary identities and trans people more broadly might require us to revisit the vocabulary of sexuality prevalent in the Anglosphere. I begin by examining the relationship between (neo)liberalism and inclusion practices. I then discuss linguistic innovations arising from the asexual (and aromantic) community before using data to highlight issues around trans and non-binary inclusion that exist with the current language. Next I use speculative, philosophical reasoning to break down what lies beneath sexuality when language is taken out of the equation, exploring identity, aesthetics and morphology. On the back of this exploration, I consider the question of how to distinguish fetishes and attraction, and what counts as sexuality. In the final two sections, I suggest which areas of the language might require revision to be trans-inclusive and reflect what lies beneath sexuality, and highlight a few cautionary concerns to be taken into ac...

This article reassesses certain assumptions concerning the conception of gender as a rigid binary structure within Jewish tradition, through the analysis of the scriptural ban on cross-dressing (Deut. 22:5), and its development within past and contemporary Jewish legal discourse. It proposes that the prohibition on cross-dressing has been traditionally interpreted in two opposing manners—an essentialist approach and a functionalist approach. The analysis demonstrates that both options were seen as halakhically valid, from the early rabbinic literature down to the contemporary responsa literature. Through this examination it can be demonstrated that the standard contemporary theology that affirms a rigid gender binary as the sole halakhic truth is only one hermeneutical option. Moreover, this halakhic “truth” sometimes serves as a political device wielded against Jewish religious feminism.

In this paper, we examine the educative significance of YouTube as a space of self-expression for transgender and non-binary youth without being hindered by pervasive cisnormative and cisgenderist expectations that are institutionalised and sanctioned in the education system. We employ transgender studies informed epistemological frameworks to investigate one specific online project called The Gender Tag Project created by and for youth, which we argue serves as a desubjugating space for self-identification of gender, and specifically, trans self-determination. Case analysis of selected videos posted by trans and non-binary youth is undertaken as a basis for providing critical insight into their relevance for generating knowledge about gender expansiveness and their pedagogical potential in the classroom. We reflect on the implications of The Gender Tag Project for envisaging more broadly a trans expansive educational agenda that is cognisant of addressing the limits of whiteness.

Perhaps the most notable trans development in recent history has been the emergence of a clear and vocal non-binary movement.  We (Meg-John, Ben and Jos) are all non-binary ourselves, as well as being engaged in the non-binary movement as activists, as researchers, and — in the case of Meg-John and Jos — as practising psychologists working with non-binary clients in the voluntary sector (Meg-John) and the gender identity clinic (Jos). In this chapter we introduce non-binary genders for unfamiliar readers, and chart the history of this movement from its roots in various strands of feminist, queer and trans activism, to its current place as a key branch of the wider trans movement.

The argument of this paper is that, despite their limits, gender ‘proliferations’ like nonbinary and genderqueer are the most effective and pragmatic approaches to overcoming or dismantling the gender binary whilst also expanding the range of ‘cultural resources’ of gender in the meantime. We make this case with the political and ethical caveat, however, that it would be politically ideal for these invocations of proliferation to be complemented by ongoing attempts to challenge sex/gender itself. We first outline the many ways that non-binary and genderqueer identities are invoked by numerous commentators as either symbols of progress, or weaponised for antithetical political purposes by a coalition of forces hostile to their proliferation. We then outline a defence of these identities as ontologically, pragmatically and socially justified, with feminist and queer political potential. We will make an argument as to why the invocation of non-binary and genderqueer as identity or subj...

Na língua portuguesa, o gênero é demarcado através de flexões, como no caso das terminações –O [masculino] e –A [feminino]. Entendemos que esses traços são necessários na sustentação da matriz de gênero vigente, a qual demarca os limites de reconhecimento das configurações do que é um corpo possível. [...]

Using dispossession as an analytical lens, this essay problematizes the way in which the transgender “coming out” experience is depicted on the Amazon original serial, Transparent (2014-). Contextualizing Butler and Anathasiou’s (2013) work on dispossession within the history of the pathologization of gender expansiveness in the United States of America, this essay argues that Transparent ’s use of “coming out” rhetoric dispossesses the transgender protagonist, Maura (Jeffrey Tambor), of the very gender autonomy the show has the potential to portray. While Transparent undoubtedly increases visibility for gender expansive individuals in the media, and often renders Maura in a sympathetic manner, its pilot season ignores the history of the pathologization of gender expansiveness while often reinforcing “wrong body” rhetoric concerning transgender individuals. Transparent depicts Maura as a dynamic character, yet it also depicts her dispossession that results from sociocultural forces ...

The darkly comic multi-media, 5 star performance that asks, ‘where would you draw the line…? is the simple, yet looming question left tantalisingly unanswered by transgressive performance artist Joey Hateley. Delivering diRTy to daring audience’s ready to find their own truth’s, integrated with British Sign Language Interpretation by Siobhan Rocks, diRTy is a surreal autobiographical performance, inviting audiences to eavesdrop on the conversation between conflicting persona’s inside someone’s head.

As the writer-performer, Hateley interweaves gender subversion, personal secrets and cinema-graphic imagery to summon an internal army, desperately trying to break free from a cocoon of torment and shame. A perverted psycho-drama, visionary extravaganza and unique multi-disciplinary performance work, diRTy is a raw depiction of the taboos and excesses of humanity.

Joey says: “diRTy is a life-long challenge to share the deepest parts of my psyche. I am asking what fears and forces drive and inspire any of us. What experiences and choices shape the core of who we are? I'm exploring a sexual language that moves beyond binary boxes of gender, and the singular notion of identity. It is the most honest, exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done”

diRTy Old TRAILER: https://youtu.be/2vU7JWLZY2U
diRTy New TRAILER: https://youtu.be/5F5OI5fSuGU

The goal of this paper is to problematize the use of sex categories in medical contexts. We question the benefits of categorizing all individuals as either male or female in medical contexts and argue that we should focus instead on the relevant sex-related properties of the patient. Contrary to what many people believe, the classificatory system by which sexed bodies are neatly divided into male and female is anything but clear. There is an abundance of evidence showing that a binary sex system does not accurately describe the reality of human bodies. Given the complexity of sex with its many markers, variations, and combinations, why is medicine still based on the assumption that there are only two sexes? Why is binary sex still systematically used as a proxy in medical contexts, even when it doesn’t help, but can actually hinder diagnoses, care, and treatments? The complexity and heterogeneity of sexed bodies is critical in medical contexts. We argue that the use of female/male c...

How to best deal with sexual violence in radical social movements is a contentious issue in the UK Left. The persistence of and inability to deal with sexual violence contradicts the core values of equality and social justice at the heart of radical social movements. A legacy of being marginalised and subjected to state repression and scrutiny has led radical activist communities to develop important self-protective strategies to establish trust and belonging. Safer spaces policies, transformative justice and community accountability processes have been attempted to address gendered violence without recourse to the state. Debate has focused on the effectiveness and negative impacts of these interventions often at the expense of survivors and anti-violence activists. However, safer spaces policies and accountability processes are set up to fail without a critical exploration of wider power relations and self-protective cultural practices that already frame activist communities. We ch...

This chapter introduces the burgeoning non-binary gender movement. Meg-John Barker writes the first half of the chapter, which is a summary of non-binary activism with a particular focus on the UK as an illustrative example of the kind of work that is happening in this area. Meg-John begins by charting some of the history of the non-binary movement, and overviews the areas which have been focal points for activism so far. They also set out some of the main forms of activism which are currently taking place in the UK context, and look to what the future might hold. Meg-John then passes over to Canada-based trans activist S. Bear Bergman who is more familiar with the US and Canadian context. Bear provides a personal reflection on experiences of activism around non-binary identity, in relation to language in particular. This is an important area of focus given the binary gender nature of the English language (and many others), and the commonality of linguistic misgendering and microaggressions in the everyday lives of many non-binary people.

College students engage in strategic gender and sexuality expression, making attire and interactional decisions that can seem mundane. However, STEM undergraduate academic cultures tend to be hetero-and cisnormative and can be unwelcoming of other gender identities and sexualities (e.g., faculty resistance to trans students' pronouns). Our analysis of interviews with 29 LGBTQPIA+ STEM undergraduates suggests that while some students chose behaviors and clothing reflective of hetero/cis norms to avoid attention and/or conflict (e.g., not wearing Pride buttons, nail polish, dresses), others challenged these norms. We explore how STEM programs can be more inclusive of LGBTQPIA+ students' gender and sexual identities and expressions.

In comparison to work on women and historically excluded racial/ethnic minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) students in STEM is somewhat incipient. There is little scholarship available on SGM-focused STEM organizations (e.g., oSTEM). Building on the previous literature, we examine how SGM-focused STEM organizations provide social capital, both expressive (e.g., emotional support) and instrumental (e.g., academic resources), that helps students feel they fit in STEM and ultimately persist. We report findings from a large online survey with 477 SGM STEM undergraduates, 463 of whom participate in STEM organizations, which offers one of if not the largest study on the topic to date. We compare three types of identity-focused organizations, SGM-focused, women-focused, and race/ethnicity-focused, finding that they each provide expressive capital to SGM students. The organizations helped students cultivate sup...

In comparison to work on women and historically excluded racial/ethnic minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) students in STEM is somewhat incipient. There is little scholarship available on SGM-focused STEM organizations (e.g., oSTEM). Building on the previous literature, we examine how SGM-focused STEM organizations provide social capital, both expressive (e.g., emotional support) and instrumental (e.g., academic resources), that helps students feel they fit in STEM and ultimately persist. We report findings from a large online survey with 477 SGM STEM undergraduates, 463 of whom participate in STEM organizations, which offers one of if not the largest study on the topic to date. We compare three types of identity-focused organizations, SGM-focused, women-focused, and race/ethnicity-focused, finding that they each provide expressive capital to SGM students. The organizations helped students cultivate sup...

The argument of this paper is that, despite their limits, gender ‘proliferations’ like nonbinary and genderqueer are the most effective and pragmatic approaches to overcoming or dismantling the gender binary whilst also expanding the range of ‘cultural resources’ of gender in the meantime. We make this case with the political and ethical caveat, however, that it would be politically ideal for these invocations of proliferation to be complemented by ongoing attempts to challenge sex/gender itself. We first outline the many ways that non-binary and genderqueer identities are invoked by numerous commentators as either symbols of progress, or weaponised for antithetical political purposes by a coalition of forces hostile to their proliferation. We then outline a defence of these identities as ontologically, pragmatically and socially justified, with feminist and queer political potential. We will make an argument as to why the invocation of non-binary and genderqueer as identity or subj...

The dominant discourse of gender focuses on the binary of woman/man, despite the known additional risks for diverse sexualities and gender minorities in disasters. Given the small but growing body of literature concerning gender minorities in disasters, this paper sets out to explore the place of sex and gender minorities in disasters and to examine whether a binary definition needs to be extended. A five-stage rapid review was undertaken following Arksey and O’Malley’s method. Peer-reviewed journal articles in English language were sought that included disaster and gender terms in the title, abstract, and/or body of the article published between January 2015 and March 2019. The search included MEDLINE and Scopus databases. Relevant information from the studies were charted in Microsoft Excel, and results were summarized using a descriptive analytical method. In total, 728 records were identified; 248 that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded and 166 duplicates were rem...

In comparison to work on women and historically excluded racial/ethnic minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) students in STEM is somewhat incipient. There is little scholarship available on SGM-focused STEM organizations (e.g., oSTEM). Building on the previous literature, we examine how SGM-focused STEM organizations provide social capital, both expressive (e.g., emotional support) and instrumental (e.g., academic resources), that helps students feel they fit in STEM and ultimately persist. We report findings from a large online survey with 477 SGM STEM undergraduates, 463 of whom participate in STEM organizations, which offers one of if not the largest study on the topic to date. We compare three types of identity-focused organizations, SGM-focused, women-focused, and race/ethnicity-focused, finding that they each provide expressive capital to SGM students. The organizations helped students cultivate sup...

The present study explored the relations between self-reported aspects of gender identity and sexual orientation in an online sample of 4756 cisgender English-speaking participants (1129 men) using the Multi-Gender Identity Questionnaire and a sexual orientation questionnaire. Participants also labeled their sexual orientation. We found a wide range of gender experiences in the sample, with 38% of the participants feeling also as the "other" gender, 39% wishing they were the "other" gender, and 35% wishing they had the body of the "other" sex. Variability in these measures was very weakly related to sexual orientation, and these relations were gender-specific, being mostly U shaped (or inverted-U shaped) in men and mostly linear asymptotic in women. Thus, in women, feeling-as-a-woman was highest in the exclusively heterosexual group, somewhat lower in the mostly heterosexual group, and lowest in the bisexual, mostly homosexual, and exclusively homosexua...

Using dispossession as an analytical lens, this essay problema-tizes the way in which the transgender "coming out" experience is depicted on the Amazon original serial, Transparent (2014-). Contextualizing Butler and Anathasiou's (2013) work on dispossession within the history of the pathologization of gender expansiveness in the United States of America, this essay argues that Transparent's use of "coming out" rhetoric dispossesses the transgender protagonist, Maura (Jeffrey Tambor), of the very gender autonomy the show has the potential to portray. While Transparent undoubtedly increases visibility for gender expansive individuals in the media, and often renders Maura in a sympathetic manner, its pilot season ignores the history of the pathologization of gender expan-siveness while often reinforcing "wrong body" rhetoric concerning transgender individuals. Transparent depicts Maura as a dynamic character, yet it also depicts her dispossession ...

Das Modell der Informierten Zustimmung bietet Trans*-Menschen einen alternativen Zugang zur gegengeschlechtlichen Hormonbehandlung. Um die gegengeschlechtliche Hormonbehandlung beginnen zu konnen, muss nach Masgabe dieses Modells keine Psychotherapie durchgefuhrt werden. In der Folge reduzieren sich – je nach Gesundheitssystem – finanzielle Belastungen sowie Verzogerungen beim Zugang zu geschlechtsangleichenden Behandlungsmasnahmen. Statt einer Fachkraft fur psychische Gesundheit ist die primare Gesundheitsfachkraft fur das erste Erfassen der psychischen Gesundheit verantwortlich, und stellt fest, ob der_die Klient_in eine informierte Zustimmung zur angestrebten Behandlung geben kann. Das Modell der Informierten Zustimmung wird im Callen-Lorde Community Health Center seit mehr als zwanzig Jahren angewandt. Das Modell integriert die Trans*-Gesundheitsversorgung in die allgemeinmedizinische Grundversorgung und betont auf diese Weise deren ganzheitlichen Charakter. Das Modell der Informierten Zustimmung steht im Einklang mit der 7. Version der Versorgungsempfehlungen der World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Eine Uberprufung der Daten von N = 1714 Patienten fur einen Zeitraum von zwei Jahren ergab weder ein Bedauern der Entscheidung noch eine Umkehr geschlechtsangleichender Operationen.