Options
Removing the radical: Irish trans masculine individuals’ engagement with offline media representations of trans identities
Author(s)
Date Issued
2023-02-10
Date Available
2023-02-20T11:18:53Z
Abstract
This paper explores how trans masculine people living in Ireland perceive and engage with representations of trans identities in different outlets of popular offline media. Drawing on qualitative interviews from 2019 with seven Irish trans masculine individuals, aged 19-37, this study explores these participants’ perceptions of offline media representations of trans people as overwhelmingly sensationalist and reductionist, while investigating the meaningful ways they have been able to engage with limited nuanced representations. Placed within the cultural context of contemporary Ireland, this article examines the tensions these participants described between popular narratives of transnormative gender identities and their own lived experiences of gender. This study’s findings suggest that reductionist and tokenistic offline media representations of trans identities were regarded as harmful and devaluing of these individuals’ experiences, while select nuanced representations were used as sites of self-reflection and initiating dialogue with others. The majority of participants agreed that trans representation in offline media could play an influential role in shaping individual experiences and expressions of trans masculinity and conveyed their desire for more varied trans representation in Irish and international offline media.
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
University College Dublin. School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice
Journal
Gender and Sexualities Series
Volume
1
Issue
3
Start Page
36
End Page
56
Copyright (Published Version)
2023 the Author
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
File(s)
Owning collection
Views
179
Last Week
1
1
Last Month
10
10
Acquisition Date
Mar 28, 2024
Mar 28, 2024
Downloads
182
Last Week
2
2
Last Month
7
7
Acquisition Date
Mar 28, 2024
Mar 28, 2024