Constructing the "Good Transsexual": Christine Jorgensen, Whiteness, and Heteronormativity in the Mid-Twentieth-Century Press

Skidmore, Emily

doi:10.1353/fem.2011.0043

Cited by 51 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Transgender women's bodies are also frequently objectified and perceived as insufficiently feminine (Bettcher, 2007; Nadal et al, 2016). While some white trans women manage to achieve legibility as subjects through an alignment with norms of white femininity, this “ascension to respectability” only further reinforces the exclusion and subjugation of trans women of color, for whom this is an impossibility (Skidmore, 2011). Thus, Black trans women, “othered” along multiple dimensions simultaneously, fall well outside the parameters of the white, cisgender “ideal victim” and are treated as less newsworthy by virtue of their races as well as their transgender identities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

U.S. News Coverage of Transgender Victims of Fatal Violence: An Exploratory Content Analysis

Osborn

2021

Violence Against Women

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Media portrayals of crime help shape public perceptions of victims and the demographic groups to which they belong. For transgender people, who already face heightened disparities and stigma, news coverage may reinforce negative stereotypes and minimize the wider context of transphobic violence. The present study, a content analysis of news articles ( n = 316) pertaining to 27 transgender people killed in the United States in 2016, addresses positive and negative depictions of victims, use of language affirming and delegitimizing transgender identities, and framing of transphobia as a systemic problem. Themes, implications, and future research directions are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

U.S. News Coverage of Transgender Victims of Fatal Violence: An Exploratory Content Analysis

Osborn

2021

Violence Against Women

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“…In addition, trans existence within Blackness is uniquely challenged since the Black social identity was created for and continues to be regulated in such a way as to render Blacks nonhuman and enslaveable (Snorton, 2017). For example, Christine Jorgensen, a white trans woman and a military veteran was able to demonstrate acceptable transness through the norms of white middleclass womanhood (Skidmore, 2011). On the contrary, Lucy Hicks Anderson was a Black trans woman who, upon marrying her husband, was the first trans woman to be tried and sentenced to federal prison for lying on a marriage certificate and "impersonating" a woman (Snorton, 2017).…”

Section: Cisheteroseximmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Un)Belonging: The Production of Black Trans Loneliness

Jenkins

2023

Affilia

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Black trans people frequently deal with the violent consequences of systemic erasure. Particularly, Black trans people experience structural racism and oppression that socially and economically isolates them, creating conditions for a unique experience of loneliness. In this essay, I engage queer of color critique to explore structural forces that work together to systematically and violently exclude Black trans people. The purpose of this conceptual piece is to advance loneliness theory to include structural isolation to explain manifestations of loneliness due to discrimination and oppression of Black trans people. I discuss my motivations and methods to engage in this work, my theoretical framework, followed by a critique of the theoretical underpinnings of loneliness research. Later, I identify and define three manifestations of structural isolation—anti-Black racism, cisheterosexism, and neoliberalism. Then, I discuss how these forces work together to produce structural isolation among Black trans people and how that isolation places them at risk for loneliness. I conclude this article with a discussion on how queer of color critique provides a framework for a more inclusive analysis of race, gender, and class in social work studies. Finally, I put forward my perception of the critical implications for social work.

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“…2 That is, a fixated curiosity on the prospect of turning a penis into a vagina. In addition to focusing on genitalia, the media also emphasized the extent to which these women could perform femininity and blend as "real women" (Skidmore, 2011). Their acceptability was conditional on their ability to adhere to heteronormative constructions of womanhood, something only achievable in part due to their whiteness (Glover, 2016).…”

Section: Representation In Mediamentioning

confidence: 99%

Looking for the signs: How childhood narratives define transgender identity

Schaad

2022

Sociology Compass

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“In an era of intense anti‐transgender legislation attacking the rights of transgender adolescents, it is more important than ever to examine how transgender and nonbinary persons make claims of legitimacy. Transgender childhood narratives have historically been used as a tool to make one's transgender identity intelligible to others and legitimize claims to a specific gender (e.g., “I have always known I am actually a girl, not a boy”). Nascent gender identification demonstrates that one's gender is predetermined by forces outside of their control. This essentialist logic provides a “natural” and “acceptable explanation” for transgender identity and transition. The integration of these childhood tropes into diagnostic criteria and popular media has established them as markers of “legitimate” transgender identity. Failure to use these narratives, even if they do not align with personal experiences, risks one's access to medical, legal, and social resources. This article explores transgender childhood narratives in‐depth, detailing their historical roots and the theoretical frameworks that give them legitimacy. I examine their continued importance in demarcating both transgender and nonbinary authenticity and review literature that highlights the influence of these narratives across various realms of social life, including health and healthcare, public perceptions, and social recognition and support.”

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Constructing the "Good Transsexual": Christine Jorgensen, Whiteness, and Heteronormativity in the Mid-Twentieth-Century Press

Cited by 51 publications

References 9 publications

U.S. News Coverage of Transgender Victims of Fatal Violence: An Exploratory Content Analysis

U.S. News Coverage of Transgender Victims of Fatal Violence: An Exploratory Content Analysis

(Un)Belonging: The Production of Black Trans Loneliness

Looking for the signs: How childhood narratives define transgender identity

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