Researching and Working for Transgender Youth: Contexts, Problems and Solutions

Tiffany Jones

doi:10.3390/socsci5030043

Abstract

In May 2016, two events epitomized the complexities of working for global transgender youth rights. First, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) hosted a ministerial event in which education ministers from around the world released a call to action for protection of students on the basis of their gender identity and expression in schools. Second, the United Nations (UN) hosted an event celebrating the family, attended by conservative ministers and activists who mobilized family protectionist discourse against transgender students. This article contemplates, in light of transgender activist Raewyn Connell’s Southern Theory contributions, the complexity of global research and work for transgender youth. It considers key informant interviews with 50 stakeholders in the global push for transgender student rights in education, including members of government and non-government organisations, and academics from Northern and Southern countries. Problems in aiding transgender youth at the global level included safety concerns, the impacts of conservative advocates and media backlash (within family and national protectionist discourses), cultural complexities hampering engagement and translation, dissemination hindrances pertaining to established publishing biases, and financial and collaboration barriers. Solutions including virtual work; multi-level leadership; alliance-building; representation; visibility of transgender youth citizenship and family membership; and legal, financial and capacity-building aid are considered.

Highlights

Since 2010, education rights advocates from around the world united to push for recognition of gender identity and expression as protected grounds in international human rights legislation—and succeeded [1]
This section is divided into loosely grouped thematic subheadings for comments on problems for research and work on transgender student issues, and comments on potential solutions
Northern and Southern considerations are teased out where possible, as are dynamics for transnational vs. local work, to ensure the contextual and historical specificity needed for dirty theory work

Summary

Introduction

Since 2010, education rights advocates from around the world united to push for recognition of gender identity and expression as protected grounds in international human rights legislation—and succeeded [1]. In 2011 the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon called transphobic bullying in schools globally “a moral outrage, a grave violation to human rights and a public health crisis” [2]. UNESCO’s “First International Consultation on Homophobic Bullying in Educational Institutions” in Brazil was attended by governments and researchers from all global regions (including myself), who created education policy guidelines [8,9]. The Global Network Against Homophobic and Transphobic Bullying in Schools (the Global Network) was formed and met at least annually, promoting policy goals [10].

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Conclusion