‘I wasn’t allowed to join the boys’: The ideology of cultural cisgenderism in a UK school

ABSTRACT

This case-study analyses the experiences of a trans pupil and teacher in a UK- secondary school. It aims to better understand cultural cisgenderism in schools, the acceptance – or lack thereof – of gender expansiveness, and the extent to which school policies are useful to challenge cisnormative gender regimes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the trans pupil and teacher and were analysed thematically. Document analysis of the school’s equality and diversity policy was also conducted. Findings revealed that cultural cisgenderism and cisnormativity are embedded into the school culture, with gender structures evident in several areas, leading to trans marginalisation. There was also evidence that both teachers and pupils may contribute to exclusionary and reactive environments, where accommodations are provided only when a trans pupil is visible. This research may be useful for those working in schools to critique policies and practices and create positive change for trans pupils.

KEYWORDS:

• Trans
• gender
• schools
• cultural cisgenderism
• physical education

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the participants of this research for their valuable contributions and to the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments on an earlier draft of this work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Although non-binary identities are often included in the trans umbrella term, it is important to note that some non-binary people may reject the term trans (Paechter, Toft, and Carlile Paechter, et al., 2021).