Gender Nonconforming Research Articles

“Why Am I a Girl?”: Gender Variance and the Racial Ideal in Frank Bidart’s “Ellen West”

“Why Am I a Girl?”: Gender Variance and the Racial Ideal in Frank Bidart’s “Ellen West”

The Impact of Sexual Violence on Quality of Life and Mental Wellbeing in Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents and Young Adults: A Mixed-Methods Approach.

Transgender (trans) and gender-diverse (GD) adolescents and young adults have remained largely invisible in health research. Previous research shows worse outcomes in health indicators for trans and GD people, compared to cisgender controls. Research on the impact of sexual violence focuses on mainly cisgender female adult victims. This study assessed the impact of sexual violence on the quality of life (QoL) and mental wellbeing (GHQ-12) among trans and GD adolescents and young adults, while taking into account the possible role of gender nonconformity in sexual violence and mental wellbeing. An online, anonymous survey and interviews/focus groups were conducted between October 2021 and May 2022 in Belgium. Multiple analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) were used to assess the associations between sexual violence, mental wellbeing, and gender nonconformity, while controlling for different background variables (gender identity, sexual orientation, age, economic vulnerability, etc.). The interviews and focus groups were used to validate associations between variables that were hypothesized as important. The quantitative sample consisted of 110 respondents between 15 and 25 years old, with 30 trans respondents (27.3%) and 80 GD respondents (72.7%). A total of 73.6% reported experiences with sexual violence over the past two years (n = 81). The mean QoL score was 5.3/10, and the mean GHQ-12 score was 6.6/12. Sexual violence was not significantly associated with QoL (p = 0.157) and only marginally significantly associated with GHQ-12 (p = 0.05). Changing one's physical appearance to conform to gender norms, out of fear of getting attacked, discriminated against, or harassed was significantly associated with QoL (p = 0.009) and GHQ-12 (p = 0.041). The association between sexual violence and changing one's physical appearance to conform to gender norms was analyzed, to assess a possible mediation effect of sexual violence on mental wellbeing. No significant association was found (p = 0.261). However, the interviews suggest that sexual violence is associated with changing one's physical appearance, but this association is not limited to only trans and GD victims of sexual violence. Non-victims also adjust their appearance, out of fear of future sexual victimization. Together with the high proportion of sexual violence, as well as the lower average QoL and higher average GHQ-12 scores among trans and GD adolescents and young adults, compared to general population statistics, this highlights the need for policy makers to create more inclusive environments.

Evaluation of ABO/Rh blood group distributions in papillary thyroid cancer patients.

The study aimed to evaluate the ABO/Rh blood group distributions and their relationship with clinical-pathological features in papillary thyroid cancer patients. It was planned as a retrospective case-controlled study. The blood group distributions of the patients were contrasted with that of the general population. Additionally, the association between clinical-pathological variables and blood group distribution was assessed. Two hundred and ninety-three patients were involved in the study. The median age was 48 years, and the majority of patients were female (84.3%). The most common variants of papillary thyroid cancer were follicular, classical, and oncocytic. The majority of the patients had stage 1 (91.1%) disease at the time of diagnosis. ABO blood group distributions in the patient (47.4% A, 11.9% B, 8.2% AB, 32.4% O) and control (42% A, 16% B, 8% AB, 34% O) groups were found to be similar ( P = .8). In terms of Rh factor, there was a comparable distribution for the characteristics of the patient and healthy control group ( P = .6). There was no association between clinical and pathological variables and blood group distributions (gender, age, tumor stage, tumor location, and pathological tumor variant). Comparing patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma to the healthy control group, the prevalence of the A blood group numerically increased while the prevalence of the B blood group numerically decreased, but it was not statistically significant. In addition, ABO/Rh blood type and clinical and pathological variables did not relate.

A debate between hegemonic masculinity and the rise of gender nonconformity: Media representations of the ‘niangpao’ phenomenon in China

The ‘niangpao’ phenomenon has recently elicited heated discussion in China. However, existing studies related to it mainly focus on the field of showbiz or personal care (cosmetics and beauty) rather than news discourse. To address this niche, a specialised corpus of 174 Chinese English-language news stories (156,774 words) from the years 2012 to 2022 was created to examine this phenomenon by employing corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis. The findings show that the semantic preferences of ‘neologism’, ‘attributes of social actor’, and ‘social action’ with seven different semantic prosodies surrounding the node ‘niangpao’ are prominent, which indicate anti-niangpao and pro-niangpao discourses with ideological implications for nationalism and gender nonconformity. These results provide insights into the linguistic representations of the ‘niangpao’ phenomenon in Chinese English-language newspapers, the contentious ideologies that emerge from these representations, and how changing gender politics shape and are influenced by the State media in a consumption-based economy.

Examining the Second-Order Factor Structure of the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Scale.

The gender minority stress and resilience (GMSR) theory and associated measure are widely utilized in research investigating the stress, resilience, and psychological health experiences of gender nonconforming (GNC) individuals. GMSR theory specifies that distal stress and proximal stress experiences adversely affect the psychological health of GNC individuals, while resilience factors help buffer against these deleterious impacts. Moreover, GMSR theory clearly specifies a second-order factor structure such that distal stress experiences are comprised of gender-based victimization, rejection, discrimination, and non-affirmation; proximal stress experiences are comprised of internalized transphobia, negative expectations for the future, and gender identity nondisclosure; and pride and community connectedness constitute resilience factors. However, despite widespread use of the GMSR measure, including validating its use among Italian, Spanish, and adolescent GNC individuals, all research to date has only queried the first-order factor structure of the measure. The present study therefore evaluated the second-order factor structure of the GMSR measure among a sample of 234 GNC college students. Results suggested that the second-order factor structure provided a reasonable fit to the data but did not fit the data exceptionally well. Moreover, results suggested that the first-order factor structure with correlated factors provided a better fit to the data than did the second-order model. Thus, while this study found support for the second-order factor structure, it appears that the first-order structure may be better suited for research use. Secondarily, the GMSR measure appears valid for use among GNC undergraduates. Additional research is needed to further validate the measure's second-order factor structure, and future research should consider trimming redundant items from the GMSR to address known fit issues.

Constructive Theology and Gender Variance: Transformative Creatures, by Susannah Cornwall

Constructive Theology and Gender Variance: Transformative Creatures, by Susannah Cornwall

Reminiscences of Kothas: Exploring Spatial Intimacies in Ruth Vanita’s Memory of Light

This paper aims to study the representation of same-sex desire in Ruth Vanita’s Memory of Light (2020) and analyze how the socio-spatial dynamics of the kotha helps to reconstruct female-to-female intimacy and convey a different idea of community and a sense of belonging in history. The novel, which traces the relationship between two courtesans, is also a recreation of the pre-modern Lucknow and its vibrant kothas with distinct architectural features. Beyond its overt function of entertaining the male patrons, the kothas as all-female establishments also served as a space of security and intimacy for women. The paper outlines the politics of situating same-sex desire in the historical backdrop of pre-colonial era. It uses concepts from Feminist Theory, Cultural Geography and Memory Studies, to examine the importance of kothas as a material and an ideological space, in facilitating discourses on gender variance, intimacy, and friendship that entered the cultural production of the time. In particular, the analysis intends to emphasize the frequent entanglement between the spatial features and women’s intimate practices as a distinct way of articulating same-sex desire that dissolves the binary understanding of hetero/homosexuality. Therefore, by insisting on the remembrance of kothas, the paper delineates how the ‘memory of places’ carves out two functions in the context of lesbian politics. On the one hand, it generates a ‘symbolic continuum’ to the history of women loving women to reframe postcolonial categorical understanding of ‘lesbian’ in contemporary times, and on the other, by infusing strategic use of metafictional elements, it emerges as a subversive mode of narrating stories of same-sex love while negotiating with the historical erasure of spaces of female-to female desire.

Validity and reliability of the Thai version of the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale-Gender Spectrum (UGDS-GS) in Thai youths and young adults with gender dysphoria

BackgroundMany people who are gender variant have undiagnosed gender dysphoria, resulting in delayed receipt of gender-affirming support and prolonged distress in living with their gender-non-conforming sex. The Utrecht Gender Dysphoria...

Reference Ranges and Gender Differences in Blood Parameter Establishment at Dental Institutions: A Prospective Study

Gender differences in haematological variables were shown to be considerable in the majority of these research; as such, determining this difference and estimating the population’s reference range are crucial. The goal of the current study was to establish a range of comparison for the general population as well as to evaluate the haematological variations in several blood parameters between males and females. MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY: The research was organised on a total of 250 patients with 125 males (50%) and 125 females (50%) in the haematology laboratory of the institution. 20 µl of capillary blood obtained by puncturing the skin over a finger was introduced into 100 µl of diluent. The contents of diluent are sodium sulfate, sodium chloride, a buffering agent, EDTA, formaldehyde, 1pyridone-2-sulphur a with pH of the 6.2-7.6. RESULTS: The study shows that the mean values of Red blood cells, Haemoglobin, Haematocrit, Mean corpuscular volume and Mean corpuscular Haemoglobin were statistically substantially reduced in men compared to females (p < 0.001), and that the mean values of MCHC were considerably lower in females than in males (). PLT and PCT, two haematological markers, were marginally higher in females than in men, with statistically significant findings at p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: Compared to only reporting cell counts, the CBC provides a wealth of detailed information about every blood cell. Even if there are new molecular analysis-based diagnostic and prognostic techniques available today, it’s still crucial to recognize the significance of the tests that doctors have been prescribing for decades. Our research would contribute to the updating of current data on blood variables, their reference range, and gender variance at the regional level.

Voices from a Multidisciplinary Healthcare Center: Understanding Barriers in Gender-Affirming Care-A Qualitative Exploration.

When seeking gender-affirming care, trans* and gender-diverse individuals often describe experiencing barriers. However, a deeper understanding of what constitutes such barriers is generally lacking. The present research sought to better understand the barriers trans* and gender-diverse individuals experienced, and their effects, when seeking gender-affirming care in the Netherlands. Qualitative interviews were conducted with trans* and gender-diverse individuals who sought care at a Dutch multidisciplinary medical center. Twenty-one participants were included, of which 12 identified as (trans) male, six identified as (trans) female, one as trans*, and one as gender-nonconforming (GNC)/non-binary. The interviews were mostly conducted at the homes of the participants and lasted between 55 min and 156 min (mean = 85 min). Following data collection and transcription, the interviews were analyzed using axial coding and thematic analysis. A total of 1361 codes were extracted, which could be classified into four themes describing barriers: lack of continuity: organizational and institutional factors (ncodes = 546), patient-staff dynamics (ncodes = 480), inadequate information and support (ncodes = 210), and lack of autonomy in decision making (ncodes = 125). Within our study, trans* and gender-diverse individuals described encountering multiple and diverse barriers when seeking gender-affirming care in the Netherlands. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether individualized care, the decentralization of care, and the use of decision aids can improve the experienced barriers of trans* and gender-diverse individuals seeking gender-affirming care within the Dutch healthcare system.

Transgender migration and displacement: the experience of khwaja sira sex workers in Lahore

This study uses an aspirations-capabilities framework to provide insight into transgender mobility based on in-depth interviews with 30 khwaja sira sex workers in Lahore. Respondents narrated mobility as a defining and persistent feature of their lives linked to their gender variance and experience of everyday violence and discrimination. Mobilities were experienced as oppressive or liberating depending on how much control they provided sex workers within managing risk in their lives. Respondents differentiated between two main forms of mobility: migration and displacement. Descriptions of migration included movement from their family of birth to a khwaja sira community as well as between khwaja sira communities, and entailed both rural-urban and inter-city travel. Unforced migration was associated with resilience as it increased sex workers control over the social environment. Experiences of forced and intra-city movement resulting from everyday interactions with clients and law enforcement agents were seen as displacement. These experiences resulted in enhanced social, physical, and occupational vulnerability and decreased khwaja sira sex workers’ control over their social environment.

Gender non-conformity in childhood and adolescence and mental health through to adulthood: a longitudinal cohort study, 1995-2018.

Few studies have examined associations between gender non-conformity (GNC) in childhood or adolescence and mental health outcomes later in life. This study examined associations between (1) GNC and mental health over multiple time points in childhood and adolescence, and (2) GNC in childhood and/or adolescence and mental health in adulthood. Second generation participants from the Raine Study, a longitudinal cohort from Perth, Western Australia. Data were collected between 1995 and 2018, comprising seven waves: ages 5 (N = 2236), 8 (N = 2140), 10 (N = 2048), 14 (N = 1864), 17 (N = 1726), 22 (N = 1236) and 27 (N = 1190) years. History of GNC, v. absence of this history, was based on responses to item 110 from the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL)/Youth Self Report (YSR) ('wishes to be of opposite sex'). The CBCL/YSR were used to measure internalising and externalising symptoms. Items 18 ('deliberate self-harm [DSH] or attempts suicide') and 91 ('talks/thinks about killing self') were used as measures of suicidal ideation (SI) and DSH. For adults, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Subscales and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale assessed mental health. Child and adolescent GNC was associated with elevated internalising and externalising behaviours and increased odds of DSH. A history of GNC was also associated with vulnerability for severe psychological distress in adulthood in some symptom scales. GNC over the child and adolescent period is associated with significant emotional and behavioural difficulties, and psychological distress. A history of GNC in childhood and/or adolescence also predicts poorer mental health in adulthood on multiple symptom domains.

Identifying protective factors for gender diverse adolescents’ mental health

Few studies have disentangled differences in victimization exposures and mental health symptoms among gender diverse subgroups, nor considered the role of potential protective factors in ameliorating the impact of victimization on gender diverse youths’ mental health. Here we report findings from a secondary data analysis, in which we address this gap by analyzing cross-sectional survey data (N = 11,264 in the final analytic sample) from a population-based survey of youth in participating school districts in a large Midwestern U.S. county. Relative to cisgender youth with gender conforming expression, transgender youth and cisgender youth with nonconforming gender expression are more likely to experience victimization and severe mental health concerns. Additionally, school-connectedness moderates the association between bias-based harassment and depression for cisgender youth with gender nonconforming expression, and family support/monitoring buffers the association of peer victimization with suicide attempts among transgender youth. Findings highlight the need to better understand factors which may confer protection among gender diverse adolescents, so that in turn appropriate supports across key contexts can be implemented.

Assessment of Odontometric and Osteologic Traits for Gender Determination in South Indians: An Original Research.

In forensic, odontologic, genetic, and anthropological aspects, odontometric and osteologic features have long been a valuable source. The goal of this research was to correlate both the osteologic and odontometric characteristics to determine the most accurate approach for determining gender. A retrospective study involving 1000 adults, with equal gender distribution, was carried out utilizing digital panoramic radiography. The archives were searched for radiographic images of the subjects that were procured for the various procedures that ranged from implantations to rehabilitations. The measurement process was carried out with Image-Pro. There was a noticeable gender difference in the mesodistal breadth, which ranged from 17 to 47. Asymmetry of the lower jaw was considerable in both genders, as was gender variance in osseologic characteristics including ramus diameter and gonial angle. The two groups of attributes exhibited a substantial positive predictive value and thus can be used indetermining gender.

The Fragile Male: An Experimental Study of Transgender Classification and the Durability of Gender Categories

Is maleness as durable a social classification as femaleness? Theories of gender suggest that men’s dominance in the gender hierarchy affords them greater privileges than women, whereas theories of status predict that men would be subject to greater scrutiny precisely because they occupy a higher-status position. We interrogate the nature of gender categories themselves by examining which theories hold in the context of gender nonconformity. Using a nationally representative survey experiment, we examine how a child’s sex assigned at birth affects their likelihood of being reclassified as transgender for engaging in gender-nonconforming behavior. We find that people are more likely to reclassify boys exhibiting feminine behavior into an alternative identity category (transgender) than girls exhibiting analogous masculine behavior. Thus, membership in the “male” category is more fragile than in the “female” category. These findings suggest that gender nonconformity is itself a gendered process, and that the durability of membership in a social category depends on the status of that social identity. This study provides the first causal evidence of the effect of gender nonconformity on perceptions of both transgender and homosexual identity.

The female-breadwinner well-being ‘penalty’: differences by men’s (un)employment and country

Abstract This article examines the relationship between female breadwinning and life satisfaction in heterosexual couples. We extend previous research by treating the man’s employment status as a variable that helps to explain rather than confounds this relationship, and by comparing multiple countries through regression analyses of European Social Survey data (Rounds 2–9). Results provide evidence of a female-breadwinner well-being ‘penalty’: men and women are less satisfied with their lives under the female-breadwinner arrangement versus the dual-earner and male-breadwinner alternatives. The penalty is marginal when the male partner is part-time employed but sizeable when he is jobless. However, there are gender differences: after controls for composition, gender-role attitudes, and partners’ relative incomes, the penalty becomes negligible for women while remaining large for men. Analyses suggest these gender differences are linked to high male unemployment among female-breadwinner couples: whereas women appear roughly equally adversely affected by a male partner’s unemployment as by their own, men report substantially higher well-being when she is unemployed instead of him. Country comparisons indicate that while this female-breadwinner well-being penalty is largest in more conservative contexts, especially Germany, it is fairly universal across Europe. So, even in countries where women’s employment is more widespread and cultural and institutional support for the male-breadwinner model is weaker, unemployed men with breadwinner wives are not immune from the social stigma and psychological difficulties associated with their gender non-conformity.

The Atemporal Silence of Aesthetics: Transfeminine Crossplay as Resources for Genderqueer Experimentation in Singapore

Abstract This study investigates how transfeminine crossplay—imagined or enacted crossdressing as feminine characters from anime and manga—offers aesthetic resources for genderqueer experimentation. We situate this investigation in Singapore, an Asian sociopolitical context which privileges social harmony and penalizes vocal dissent. Through interviews with six crossplay fans (some identifying as transgender but not others), we unpack how they harness aesthetics in crossplay to negotiate genderqueer trajectories. Crossplay aesthetics clarified gendered feelings and prospective gendered futures. It created gendered-aesthetic styles, forming new trajectories. But for some, it counterproductively constricted gender experimentation's inventiveness. We argue that aesthetic play constitutes a holding space to silently cultivate gender nonconformity, sidestepping Singapore society's demonization of dissent. By momentarily suspending ties to futural demands of gender identities, crossplay installs a sense of atemporality within gendered aesthetics, encouraging fans to engage gender as aesthetic considerations dissociated from personal and social histories of shame, suffering, and discrimination.

Constructive Theology and Gender Variance: Transformative Creatures by SusannahCornwall (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023), xi + 419 pp.

Modern TheologyEarly View Book Review Constructive Theology and Gender Variance: Transformative Creatures by Susannah Cornwall (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023), xi + 419 pp. Linn Marie Tonstad, Corresponding Author Linn Marie Tonstad [email protected] Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511 USASearch for more papers by this author Linn Marie Tonstad, Corresponding Author Linn Marie Tonstad [email protected] Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT, 06511 USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/moth.12878Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Promoting the health of gender variant children in Italy: Parents' experience with supportive networks

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this research was to explore the ways in which Italian parents of gender variant (GV) children construct their experience of seeking medical–psychological support and their experience with local services.BackgroundWe refer to gender variance in minors as the process of identification with a gender, other than the one assigned at birth. Parents taking care of their GV children often search for professional support to better understand them and promote their overall well‐being. International research has shown that parents often meet health professionals who are ill‐equipped to support them.MethodWe interviewed 26 parents in Italy with children who are GV. Through discourse analysis, with a focus on Harré's discursive positioning, we discuss how throughout their experience, parents have turned to information from professionals who were mostly uneducated about gender variance, and therefore, unable to help.ResultsA mostly adequate support was received when the parents eventually turned to specialized services for transgender and GV people; however, the fundamental source of support and empowerment is the informal relational network of services and “gender” families.ConclusionParents' reports show that in Italy, health professionals and services addressing gender variance are highly heterogeneous and patchy, thus necessitating a specific training for professionals on the needs of transgender people.ImplicationsThis study is particularly important in the current context of the medicalization of children who are GV, as it offers valuable insights into the experiences of families navigating the complex and often stigmatized world of gender identity development.

Gender Transgression, Motherhood and Desire: Circumventing the Western Queer Ideology - A Post-colonial Literary Reading of Devdutt Pattanaik’s The Pregnant King

The term both gender and biological sex play a significant role in determining human behaviour. The foundation for presenting the underlying power structures that have aggressively preserved the gender binary was laid by a significant shift in theoretical viewpoint. Similarly, postmodern feminist and queer theorists' lenses questioned gender as a social construction rather than a natural manifestation of biological sex. Gender nonconformity transgresses the traditionally constructed gender binary by giving traditional masculinity the primary status and enabling the power and privilege related to gender enactment. The definition of gender transgression, however, varies significantly across cultures and historical Periods. The perpetuation of the gender binary and the hierarchal power system is deeply rooted in Western cultures. These power structures are embedded in reified social norms and governmental policy. This paper focuses on identifying forms of gender transgression and its ideological impingement. Combining insights from queer and post-colonial scholarship, it emphasizes the critical importance of a two-pronged theoretical approach. Following the recent research in redefining queer discourses in the limelight of post-colonial theory and narratives, this paper argues that revisiting mythological queer fiction contests the Western prejudice in queer paradigms. Queer narratives from the South Asian sub-continent signify the importance of race, class, religion, diaspora, ethnic, and linguistic formations concerning issues surrounding the representation of non-binary gender and sexualities. Through an intense reading of Devdutt Pattanaik’s Mythological text, The Pregnant King, this study circumvents the Western model of queer identities, tries to reposition the transformative non-Euro-American context, and gives queer its legal status as a pluralistic critical formation.