I have a Beard but that Doesn’t Mean I’m One of You, Okay?: Trans* Unintelligibility

• In Event: 059 - Regular Session. Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies

Abstract

Social awareness of transgender and genderqueer identities is increasing, however, the interactional process of categorizing gender as either male or female overwhelmingly remains unchanged, limiting the possibilities of recognizable gender. Based on 18 in-depth interviews, this paper adds to the empirical literature on trans* individuals, examining the ways gender categorization in interactions can lead to misgendering and render some individuals as socially unintelligible. I analyze trans* experiences of unintelligibility and the strategies trans* people employ in attempts to mitigate this outcome. While trans* people’s experiences with gender are exceptionally diverse, I argue they are frequently structured by the limits of gendered language, the significance of certain bodily signifiers, and hyper-visibility of ambiguously gendered individuals. This categorization has consequences for trans* people with regards to acceptable ways of doing gender, access to social personhood, and experiences of hostility and violence. I argue that trans* people are not passive when it comes to gender categorization, and they frequently negotiate language and engage in “body projects” in attempts to achieve coherence between their personal and social self, protect their well-being, and enable different gender possibilities. The concept of “trans* battle fatigue” highlights the emotional, physical, and social repercussions of unintelligibility for those trans* people who cannot achieve access, or do not desire access, to the categories of male or female. This essay investigates how the process of determining gender limits gendered possibilities, has tangible consequences for trans* people, and is also a site where alternative gender possibilities are actively negotiated.

Author

• Megan Collier, University of Illinois at Chicago