March 31 is Trans Visibility Day, and we're pleased to present a selection of recent journal articles from academics at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society on related topics.
Exploring trans youths’ future orientations as a product of experiences of dis/affirmation
Gene Lim, Phillipa Buckingham, Ivy McGowan, Ruby Grant, Natalie Amos, Joel Anderson and Adam Bourne, Journal of Sociology
We analysed data from Writing Themselves In 4, asking trans youth (aged 14-21) about their experiences of gender affirmation, as well as their future goals and aspirations.
We found that trans young people who had experienced gender affirmation were better and more broadly able to envision their futures than trans young people who hadn't.
Findings highlighted close links between present-day experiences of affirmation and future 'orientation' – a term encompassing anticipatory thoughts, emotions, plans and anticipations of the future, often including ideal or optimal social relationships, occupations, values and ways of living.
For trans youth who did not experience feelings of affirmation, participants seemed less able to envision positive future orientations beyond the fulfilment of the need for social and interpersonal acceptance.
Chest binding: knowledge, safety and accessibility
Serena Pehlivanidis and Joel R Anderson, International Journal of Transgender Health, Australian Psychologist
Chest binding is a common gender-affirming practice that transmasculine individuals can engage in for a range of reasons, including masculinising their physical appearance, which can facilitate gender euphoria, or alleviate gender dysphoria.
In this study, Associate Professor Joel Anderson and Serena Pehlivanidis explored chest-binding experiences with a focus on knowledge attainment, understandings of safety and accessibility factors for those interested in binding.
The study produced three articles:
This article provides a scoping review of existing literature on chest binding, identifying themes for examination, including physical health, identity and presentation, chest dysphoria, other mental health, effectiveness, knowledge, and accessibility.
This study found three characterized motivations for binding: its role in euphoric experiences of gender, alleviating distress and improving wellbeing, and interacting with the social world.
It found that for transmasculine people, the benefits of chest binding often outweigh considerations such as physical discomfort or contextual and environmental complexities.
Findings have a practical view of guiding safe and effective use of chest binding in gender affirming care models, as well as informing transmasculine suicide prevention strategies.
This article focuses on knowledge attainment, understandings of safety and accessibility factors for those interested in binding, with core findings including:
- Online and social communities influence understandings of binding practices
- Learning about safety in binding is often self-directed
- Difficulties of navigating the application of safe binding within daily life
- Common accessibility barriers to binding can be mitigated by trans communities
Trans healthcare temporalities: the impacts of waiting for gender affirmation on trans identities, wellbeing, and futurity
Ruby Grant, Gene Lim, Ash Russell, Sasha Bailey and Sharon Dane, International Journal of Transgender Health
Trans and gender diverse people seeking medical gender affirmation often face prolonged waiting periods for diagnoses and treatment, adversely impacting their health and wellbeing. This survey of gender affirming healthcare for trans adults in Tasmania explored experiences of urgency, anticipation, and futures within healthcare settings.
Participants described healthcare delays as deeply distressing, disrupting their sense of time and self. Health system timelines, characterized by extended wait times and linear transition pathways, often clashed with participants’ personal temporalities, contributing to feelings of stagnation and uncertainty. However, participants demonstrated resilience in navigating these challenges, advocating for timely, flexible, and person-centred care pathways.
This study highlights the influence of healthcare timelines on trans wellbeing and life trajectories. It emphasizes the importance of timely, patient-centred care that respects diverse temporalities to support trans people in navigating their affirmation journeys.
