Prisoners of Lexicon; Young trans people and trans children: a Social Activity analysis

Abstract

Drawing on the work of Dowling (1998, 2009, 2013), and Ansara & Hegarty (2011) this paper examines the problems young transgender people and trans children can experience in terms of intelligibility, knowledge and cultural cisgenderism. Suggesting a definition of cultural cisgenderism using Social Activity Method as a mode of analysis, the problems for this population in terms of coming out, understanding themselves and surviving abuse, bullying and assault, are analysed in social, cultural and epistemological terms.

Biography

Bio: Natacha Kennedy is a trans activist and academic, working at Goldsmiths College, London. She is co-chair of Camden LGBT Forum, has worked with Trans Media Watch, is part of the team that organises the London Transgender Day of Remembrance and a member of LGBT Labour executive. She has an MA with distinction at the Institute of Education where she is currently studying for a PhD; researching young trans people and their use of social media. Prior to that she was a primary school teacher in schools in London and East Anglia. She can remember being trans from a very young age. She speaks six languages and is learning Japanese. She enjoys all things Japanese, especially food, as well as photography and travel. She lives in London and the North of England with her partner.