Abstract:
With the increased visibility of transpeople there is a pressing need to explore the operation and growth of the trans community. From the outside looking in, the trans community appears to be monolithic and homogenous, but it is in fact made up of a diverse collection of ethnicities, religions, social classes, educational backgrounds, and gender performances and identities. My research examines the social environment of butch transwomen, who are frequently viewed with suspicion as they cross the boundaries of both gender and sexuality. Their transition from identifying as straight men to identifying as either lesbians or bisexual women, and they are not adhering to traditional notions of femininity, creates a complex social environment. This dissertation explores the social-cultural aspects of the trans community, examining how social inclusion and exclusion operates among transpeople and focusing on the lived experiences of butch transwomen, who embody a wide spectrum of male to female trans identities. My research argues that non-traditional gender performannce of transwomen have been largely ignored by sociologists in favour of focusing on the process of gender transition and interaction with the cisgender world. Such a focus tends to ignore the diverse nature of existing internal social relations of the trans community.