Patterns of transgender microaggressions in friendship: the role of gender identity

ABSTRACT

Microaggressions are brief verbal, behavioural or environmental slights that communicate hostility or offence. Microaggressions that come from an individual’s friends can be seen as more interpersonally aggressive and more upsetting than when coming from someone who the individual does not know. The present study examines transgender microaggressions that occur in friendships and specifically explores how microaggressions are experienced differently for transfeminine, transmasculine, gender nonconforming and agender individuals. Participants included 211 transgender adults who ranged in age from 18 to 65. Participants identified as transfeminine (28.4%), transmasculine (47.4%), gender nonconforming (18.0%) or agender (6.2%). Participants completed an online survey and provided qualitative information regarding their experiences of microaggressions from their friends. Responses were analysed via thematic analysis with a focus on explicating differences in experiences of microaggressions across gender identity. Three broad identity-salient themes emerged: (1) authenticity; (2) visibility and (3) negotiation of identity in social context. Differences were seen between individuals endorsing binary (transfeminine and transmasculine) and non-binary (gender nonconforming and agender) identities, as well as between transmasculine and transfeminine identities. Discussion focuses on the way cisgenderism, sexism and binary assumptions about gender/sex converge to shape the experiences of transgender microaggressions in friendships.

KEYWORDS:

• Transgender
• microaggressions
• friendships
• gender identity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Consistent with past transgender research (Beemyn & Rankin, 2011), this study will use trans as an all-encompassing term to refer to people whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex at birth.

2. The singular they pronoun in place of his or hers is also used to acknowledge non-binary identities that are expected within our sample, and the use of pronouns that do not assume the gender binary.

3. While some individuals who identify as mtf (transfeminine) or ftm (transmasculine) may conceptualise their gender as binary, we recognise there are individuals who may be mtf or ftm who identify as non-binary.

4. Consistent with past research (Galupo et al., 2014b), we use ‘transgender history’ to refer to individuals who do not identify as transgender but describe their transgender experience as a medical history or status.

5. While participants were directed to answer survey questions with a ‘close friend’ in mind, some participants interpreted this as ‘someone close to them’ and described microaggressions from family or romantic partners. This is consistent with the friendship literature that suggests that friends take on an expanded role for LGBT individuals, where they serve as chosen family (Weinstock, 2000; Weston, 1991).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lex Pulice-Farrow

Lex Pulice-Farrow graduated from Towson University with an MA in Clinical Psychology. Lex’s research interests include sexual orientation and gender diversity, with a focus on transgender and non-binary individuals.

Zakary A. Clements

Zakary Clements graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in Psychology and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Kentucky.  His research interests include gender and the LGBTQ community.

M. Paz Galupo

M. Paz Galupo, Ph.D., is professor of Psychology and Director of the Sexual & Gender Identity Lab at Towson University. Paz’s research interests focus on understanding the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity as negotiated in the context of social and personal relationships, with a particular focus on bisexual/plurisexual and transgender experience.