“It's Complicated”: Collective Memories of Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youth in High School

Abstract

Using the qualitative participatory action methodology, collective memory work, this study explored how transgender, queer, and questioning (TQQ) youth make meaning of their sexual orientation and gender identity through high school experiences. Researchers identified three major conceptual but overlapping themes from the data generated in the transgender, queer, and questioning youth focus group: a need for resilience, you should be able to be safe, and this is what action looks like! The researchers discuss how as a research product, a documentary can effectively "capture voices" of participants, making research accessible and attractive to parents, practitioners, policy makers, and participants.

Sexual and Romantic Experiences of Transgender Youth Before Gender-Affirmative Treatment

“…23 Specifically, aversion to genital organs can influence on solo and partner-related sexual activities 24 and the steadiness of romantic relationships. 25 Third, in a high school environment forming a romantic or sexual relationship may present extra challenges due to the risk of exclusion by peers 26 and fewer opportunities to find a romantic partner. 27,28 Fourth, in clinical practice many transgender adolescents and parents have questions about sexuality and possible treatment effects that are now left unanswered.…”

“Everyone Knows Me as the Weird Kid”: Being Bisexual, Genderfluid, and Fifteen

“…"For many," they suggest, "relentless verbal abuse and other forms of harassment were part of their normal daily routine" (p. 26). Johnson, Singh and Gonzalez (2014) conclude: "To say schools and Everyone Knows Me as the Weird Kid 5 other youth programs continue to be unsafe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) students is an understatement" (p. 420).…”

LGBT Hate Crime: Promoting a Queer Agenda for Hate Crime Scholarship

“…To my knowledge, no research on hate crime has currently taken place in Samoa. However, with the growing body of research towards intersex (Ben-Asher, 2006;Reis, 2007), non-binary (Corwin, 2009;Rankin & Beemyn, 2012), and gender fluid (Johnson, Singh & Gonzalez, 2014) recognition, it is becoming ever more important to remain reflexive of the Western, colonial, and binary foundations we use to produce, limit, and construct sexuality and gender in relation to crime. Reflexivity in this sense is imperative to hate scholarship as Manning (2009) outlines that existences and identities are only able to be if we are aware and conscious of them.…”