The Transgender community has long been grouped into conversations of Human Sexuality via groupings like LGBTQ+, though “for people who have an inkling of what gender issues are, a common sentiment expressed is, ‘Why can’t you just be gay’” (Israel, 2005). What this quote fundamentally notes upon is the formative misunderstanding between sex, gender, and sexuality. Looking at the experience of transgender agents exposes intersections of gender and sexuality that convolute objective human sexuality approaches rooted in gendered performances of heteronormativity and homonormativity.
The transgender agent often faces intense stigma on a daily basis requiring them to manage their support systems in such a way that renders them cared for instead of exiled (Israel, 2005). If the common misunderstanding about identifying as transgender is rooted in gender identity and sexual orientation confusion, the ways this sentiment seeps into society via social and medical institutions compounds the maladaptive experiences of trans people (Israel, 2005). “Those that don’t receive support generally have a much harder time adjusting to society, employment, and relationships” – and the most pivotal support system of the family and interpersonal relationships is contingent on these parties accepting their identities (Israel, 2005).
During the transitioning periods, relationships can face many adverse moments necessitating relationship maintenance that is “hard work” and demands “those that are willing to do the communicating, search for answers together and redefine their relationship” (Israel, 2005). Sometimes, collectivity can be found in Transgender communities where there is a broad spectrum of identities that range from the binary to non-binary identities. Within these communities are histories of redefining and co-opting labels for transgender identities, and Israel (2005) underscores how important social support, communication, and resilience narratives are for the transgender experience. Moreover, in the political landscape of human sexuality, discourse on transgender identities adds nuance to the differences in gender and sexuality.
- While online forums are typically thought to be safe havens for LGBTQIA+ communities because of societal stigma rooted outside the internet, in thinking about the Transgender community, how might online social spaces serve as maladaptive experiences for those transitioning or who have transitioned?
- How might normative approaches to sexuality and gender shape the way we think about Human Sexuality in broader discussions? How does societal impulses to categorize transgender identities within the framework of sexual orientation reveal deeper anxieties about destabilizing binary constructs?