The Lives of Transgender People

By G. Beemyn, Susan R Rankin. Psychology of Sexualities Review, 2011

317 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Responding to a critical need for greater perspectives on transgender life in the United States, Genny Beemyn and Susan (Sue) Rankin apply their extensive expertise to a groundbreaking survey--one of the largest ever conducted in the U.S.--on gender development and identity-making among transsexual women, transsexual men, crossdressers, and genderqueer individuals. With nearly 3,500 participants, the survey is remarkably diverse, and with more than 400 follow-up interviews, the data offers limitless opportunities for research and interpretation. Beemyn and Rankin track the formation of gender identity across individuals and groups, beginning in childhood and marking the "touchstones" that led participants to identify as transgender. They explore when and how participants noted a feeling of difference because of their gender, the issues that caused them to feel uncertain about their gender identities, the factors that encouraged them to embrace a transgender identity, and the steps they have taken to meet other transgender individuals. Beemyn and Rankin's findings expose the kinds of discrimination and harassment experienced by participants in the U.S. and the psychological toll of living in secrecy and fear. They discover that despite increasing recognition by the public of transgender individuals and a growing rights movement, these populations continue to face bias, violence, and social and economic disenfranchisement. Grounded in empirical data yet rich with human testimony, The Lives of Transgender People adds uncommon depth to the literature on this subject and introduces fresh pathways for future research.

Subfields: Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7e3997e8f01f474b09713070403b7862c45686ed

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Citations in the corpus

Comparing Trans-Spectrum and Same-sex-Attracted Youth in Australia: Increased Risks, Increased Activisms (2013, background): “Some studies argue trans-spectrum youth are at high risk of being discriminated against and verbally and physically abused by the public (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011; Giordano, 2008; Ryan & Rivers, 2003), and this is a common theme of larger quantitative studies that include transgender students as a…”
Out in the Classroom: Transgender Student Experiences at a Large Public University (2015, background): “Rooted in gender performance (Butler, 1990; West & Zimmerman, 1987), masking is a performance people utilize in situations when they perceive their identity is stigmatized or their safety is at risk (Yoshino, 2007). West and Zimmerman (1987) asserted gender is contextually situated by the interactio”
Internalized Stigma Within Sexual and Gender Minorities: Change Strategies and Clinical Implications (2015, background): “In addition, the qualitative data gathered by Beemyn and Rankin (2011) suggests that some transgender people may resort to using substances as a way of coping with oppression.”
Coping and Psychological Distress Among Genderqueer Individuals: The Moderating Effect of Social Support (2014, background): “Gender expression is how individuals choose to communicate to the world about their gender identity and is generally communicated through appearance (e.g., clothing, mannerism, body characteristics, or speech) as well as behavior (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011).”
Risk and Resilience During Transgender Identity Development: The Effects of Awareness and Engagement with Other Transgender People on Affect (2014, methodology): “METHODS Procedure The survey analyzed in this study was administered as part of a larger mixed methods design research study aimed at understanding the experiences of American trans people, detailed in The Lives of Transgender People (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011).”
FACTORS IMPACTING THE ACADEMIC CLIMATE FOR LGBQ STEM FACULTY (2014, background): “An individual’s own identity is formed on the basis of this attraction, as well as on the actions prompted by this attraction (Beemyn and Rankin, 2011).”
Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. (2015, unknown): “…et al., 2006; Kenagy & Bostwick, 2005; Lombardi, Wilchins, Priesing, & Malouf, 2001; Xavier et al., 2005), general harassment and discrimination (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011; Factor & Rothblum, 2007), and employment and housing discrimination (Bradford et al., 2007), they are likely to experience…”