Visible and Invisible Genders: Photography and the Self-Visualisation of Transsexual People
Lead Research Organisation:
University of the Arts London
Department Name: London College of Communication
Abstract
'Visible and Invisible Genders' is a photography research project carried out in collaboration with transsexual people. While the widely held view is that there are two sexes and two genders, the research participants self-identify through a range of gender descriptions that extend the boundaries of the female/male binary categories.
Despite the increasing public face of transsexuality generated by the media, the lived experiences of individuals' identifying beyond the sex and gender dichotomies are almost invisible in the social domain, the general view being that transsexual people continually shift from one socially-sanctioned gender to the other. Furthermore, everyday life re-enforces the binary sex/gender model recognised in Western society, thus few images explore beyond these polarised categories. Consequently the visual articulation of these categories defines and perpetuates this binary model, controlling and reproducing gender 'norms' to the exclusion of non-binary definitions.
In light of these concerns, my research explores the notions of transsexual visibility and invisibility. It analyses the differences between the participants' private and public gender manifestations and it investigates the capacity for photographs of transsexual people, undertaken in the social domain, to reveal the visual practices of gender and gender performativity in everyday life.
The photography takes a phenomenological approach, following the work of anthropologist Michael Jackson, who applies Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of 'being-in-the-world'. Nonetheless, Jacques Lacan and Judith Butler's perspectives provide insights into the process of perception and embodiment in relation to gender and self-visualisation. Judith Halberstam's concept of flexible gender boundaries is also important here. In different ways, these perspectives foreground the mediation process that takes place between inner and outer worlds in self-visualisation.
Following this, my enquiry provides new insights into the experiences of transsexual people, specifically with regard to the relationship between gender and self-visualisation, in the broader context of everyday life.
Outputs will make the findings accessible to an international audience. The research will be exhibited in 'Art as Somatechnic' Sydney, 2009 and 'Beyond Woman and Man' at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris, 2009. Textual analysis of the research will form the basis for conference papers to be given at the 'Fifth International Somatechnics Conference', Macquarie University, Sydney, 2009 and 'Conference on Transgender', Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, 2009.
Despite the increasing public face of transsexuality generated by the media, the lived experiences of individuals' identifying beyond the sex and gender dichotomies are almost invisible in the social domain, the general view being that transsexual people continually shift from one socially-sanctioned gender to the other. Furthermore, everyday life re-enforces the binary sex/gender model recognised in Western society, thus few images explore beyond these polarised categories. Consequently the visual articulation of these categories defines and perpetuates this binary model, controlling and reproducing gender 'norms' to the exclusion of non-binary definitions.
In light of these concerns, my research explores the notions of transsexual visibility and invisibility. It analyses the differences between the participants' private and public gender manifestations and it investigates the capacity for photographs of transsexual people, undertaken in the social domain, to reveal the visual practices of gender and gender performativity in everyday life.
The photography takes a phenomenological approach, following the work of anthropologist Michael Jackson, who applies Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of 'being-in-the-world'. Nonetheless, Jacques Lacan and Judith Butler's perspectives provide insights into the process of perception and embodiment in relation to gender and self-visualisation. Judith Halberstam's concept of flexible gender boundaries is also important here. In different ways, these perspectives foreground the mediation process that takes place between inner and outer worlds in self-visualisation.
Following this, my enquiry provides new insights into the experiences of transsexual people, specifically with regard to the relationship between gender and self-visualisation, in the broader context of everyday life.
Outputs will make the findings accessible to an international audience. The research will be exhibited in 'Art as Somatechnic' Sydney, 2009 and 'Beyond Woman and Man' at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, Paris, 2009. Textual analysis of the research will form the basis for conference papers to be given at the 'Fifth International Somatechnics Conference', Macquarie University, Sydney, 2009 and 'Conference on Transgender', Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, 2009.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Sara Davidmann (Principal Investigator) |
| Title | In/visible Genders |
| Description | 'In/Visible Genders' was a solo exhibition held at the Paris LGBT Centre, 22 May - 24 June 2009. 29 photographs were shown. This output arises from, and is located in, practice-based research that combines photographic practice with recorded interviews. The research was developed in collaboration with four transgender and gender-variant people who self-identify through a range of gender indicators that extend the boundaries of the female/male categories. This research investigated transgender and gender-variant visibility/invisibility, analyzed the differences between private and public gender expressions, explored how participants see themselves in contrast to how they are seen by others, and examined the ways in which people who identify beyond the gender dichotomy negotiate binary gendered social spaces. The exhibition was by invitation from Prof. Chantal Zabus, Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris. The exhibition specifically engaged the LGBT community, addressing the issue that transgender and gender-variant people are frequently under-represented in LGBT communities. It was timed to coincide with the first (thus historically significant) transgender conference in France, 'Transgender: New Identities and Visibilities' international conference, Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris-3, 22 - 23 May 2009. I presented an accompanying conference paper on the research at this conference. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | The exhibition was held in the Paris LGBT Centre in order to specifically engage the LGBT community. This is because transgender and gender-variant people are frequently under-represented in LGBT communities. LGB audience responses demonstrated tremendous interest in the research and the issues that the exhibition raised. It was noted that the exhibition transformed the way that some LGB audience members understood transgender and gender-variant people. The exhibition was timed to coincide with the first (thus historically significant) transgender conference in France, 'Transgender: New Identities and Visibilities' international conference, Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris-3, 22 - 23 May 2009. I presented an accompanying conference paper on the research at this conference. Holding the exhibition in conjunction with the conference meant that the exhibition was made available to a large number of people who attended the conference. Responses from conference delegates highlighted the significance of the research and the importance of making the research widely accessible. Following on from this exhibition Prof. Chantal Zabus invited me to contribute a chapter, based on the exhibition and my conference paper, to the book 'Transgender Experience: Found in Transition', Chantal Zabus & David Coad (eds.), New York: Routledge, 2014. We are now discussing an international collaboration for research to be carried out in India, Africa and Australia. |
| Title | ReImag(in)ing Somasex |
| Description | 30 photographs were exhibited. The research upon which this exhibition was based provided evidence that the negotiation of everyday life for transgender and gender-variant people who identify beyond the female/male categories is highly problematic. While some are unable to hide their gender history, yet others are perceived to be a gender that is not in accord with how the person identifies. In other words, the person is read as female or male since these are the only genders that are recognized. This can leave the person feeling that they are not seen - that the person has been rendered invisible. The ways in which the participants negotiate interacting in public spaces brings to the surface the dysfunctional dialogue that exists between people whose gender lies beyond the polarized female/male boundaries and widely-held beliefs about gender. The policing of gender that takes place in public spaces featured significantly in the participants' accounts. These incidences demonstrate that transgressions of the sex and gender borders constitute a threat to some people. This results in enforcement of the female/male gender categories and contributes towards maintaining the status quo. These issues had not been examined in this particular way before. Providing evidence pertaining to the impact of transgender and gender-variant people's interactions in public spaces, the visual methods that underpinned this research also reflected the centrality of the visual realm in the discursive formation of gender identities and the negotiation of everyday life. Further, the collaborative base upon which the photography was developed was significant. Through the research, participants were able to present their accounts on their own terms and a strong personal 'voice' became a part of the work. One set of the photographs taken with two of the participants, Jenny-Anne and Elen, presented a particular challenge. In discussions with members of transgender and gender-variant communities these photographs were highlighted as being relevant to the experiences of many and particularly important to be seen by non-transgender/non gender-variant people. I took this issue on board and felt that it was important to try to reveal to non-transgender/non gender-variant audiences how it felt to be persistently stared at when moving through public spaces. In the first dissemination of the output (Paris 2009) I constructed a grid of 18 photographs which were printed together at the same size as the studio portraits. Following the exhibition, I felt that this did not portray the experience powerfully enough and for this exhibition I selected a sequence of three photographs which were presented larger side-by-side. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | Audiences reported that my research in this exhibition changed their understanding of transgender and gender-variant people's lives and experiences. In particular the issue of how other people respond to the transgender or gender-variant person was highlighted. The photographs taken in public spaces were noted as being particularly effective - especially when viewed in the context of one of the other photographs on show which contrasted greatly in that it showed how the participants viewed themselves and would want to be seen by others. Following on from this exhibition the organizer, Queer Theorist and Assoc. Prof. Nikki Sullivan, invited me to collaborate with her on developing a research output from a further series of photographs/oral history recordings carried out during the AHRC Fellowship. |
| Title | SHOUT |
| Description | Three photographs from the 'In/Visible Genders' project were projected in public spaces as part of the 'Censored', SHOUT: Festival of LGBT Culture, Birmingham. Projections 1: Wynner House, Bromsgrove Street Birmingham B5 6RG. Projected over three floors in height. Projections 2: The Big Peg stairwell, 120 Vyse Street Birmingham B18 6NF. Projected over six floors in height. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2009 |
| Impact | The photographs were projected in public spaces which meant that they were seen by a large number of people who might not usually attend galleries or museums and who might not normally come into contact with the ideas underpinning the work. |
| Description | Over the past twenty-five years considerable theoretical advancements have been made in the academy with regard to the recognition of atypical gender identities. Specifically, building upon the work of Judith Butler and Michel Foucault, Queer Theory has developed as a collection of foci on the relations between sex, gender and desire in relation to stereotypical heterosexual norms. In some academic arenas, Queer Theory's popularity appears to have led to an assumption that these advancements have influenced mainstream beliefs to such an extent that atypical genders, including transgender and gender-variant, are now widely accepted. However, my research provides substantial evidence that contravenes this supposition. My research demonstrates that the negotiation of everyday life for transgender and gender-variant people continues to be highly problematic. Despite the use of hormone treatment and surgery, some transgender and gender-variant people are unable to hide their gendered history. My research involves taking photographs with participants in public spaces. Detailed research was carried out with a group of eight participants.The photographs taken with participants who are recognizable as transgender or gender-variant demonstrate that they are unable to move through public spaces without being persistently and overtly stared at. Further, one instance that was highly confrontational was recorded. Additionally, participants' accounts highlight the fact that interacting in the public domain when one does not conform to the expected appearances for the binary genders may result in verbal abuse or physical violence. Six out of eight transgender and gender-variant participants recorded experiencing verbal or physical abuse in public spaces. Nevertheless, four of the participants, while self-identifying as being atypically gendered, are now consistently perceived by others in the public domain to be either a biological female or male in accordance with the predominance of stereotypical femininity or masculinity in their appearance. This enables the person to adopt a corresponding gender role, thus allowing relative ease of interaction in public spaces. Nonetheless, participants' accounts reveal that being perceived by others to be a gender that is not in accord with how one 'sees' oneself can result in the feeling that the person is not 'seen'. In other words, the person becomes invisible. To the best of my knowledge, these issues have not been examined in this particular way before. While providing evidence pertaining to the impact of transgender and gender-variant peoples' interactions in the public domain, the visual methods that underpin this inquiry also reflect the centrality of the visual realm in the discursive formation of gender identities and the negotiation of everyday life. |
| Exploitation Route | Through research outputs my research has come to the attention of peers and leaders in the fields of gender studies, cultural studies, transgender studies, history and the broader social sciences. It is perhaps a measure of the significance of this research that, not only have the outputs generated considerable interest, but I have been invited to collaborate with international leaders in the field including Prof. (Judith) Jack Halberstam, Assoc. Prof. Nikki Sullivan, Prof. Elspeth Brown and Prof. Chantal Zabus. These collaborations will take forward my research findings and applications of my research methods in new contexts and to new international audiences. The collaborative photography and interview methods that I developed during the course of the Fellowship, which extend photo-elicitation methods, allows participants to present their accounts on their own terms and a strong personal 'voice' to become a part of the work. This approach has since been taken up by UK transgender and gender-variant community members and is now being taken forward in community-based projects. In this way, the research is continuing to enhance quality of life and creative output. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Description | My research findings have had a very positive impact on the communities within which the research was carried out - UK transgender and gender-variant communities. This is important because although media interest in transgender and gender-variant lives has increased over the past ten years and as a consequence of this there has been an increase in the knowledge that transgender and gender variant people exist. However, the media tends to portray a very narrow view of what it means to be transgender or gender-variant. This results in widely held misconceptions about transgender and gender-variant lives and experiences. These communities continue to be under-represented, marginalized communities and large numbers of transgender and gender-variant people continue to find the negotiation of everyday life highly problematic. The response to research outputs from transgender and gender-variant communities was extremely positive. The most common response to the research was that it allowed for self-representation and identification in a way that was rarely encountered. The collaborative photography and interview method that I developed during the course of my research, which extends photo-elicitation methods, allows participants to present their accounts on their own terms and a strong personal 'voice' becomes a part of the work. This approach has since been taken up by UK transgender and gender-variant community members and is now being taken forward in community-based projects. In this way, the research is continuing to enhance quality of life and creative output. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | Re-imag(in)ing life-making |
| Organisation | Macquarie University |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Queer Theorist Assoc. Prof. Nikki Sullivan and myself co-authored a Keynote Speech, 'Re-imag(in)ing life-making, or queering the somatechnics of reproductive futurity' given at 'Somatechnical Figurations: Kinship, Bodies, Affects' international conference, Södertörn University, Stockholm 2012. This Keynote was based on a series of 30 of my photographs which were taken during the AHRC Fellowship. We have since developed the Keynote into a book chapter. The book chapter is based on the same series of photographs but presents them in a new configuration. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Sullivan brought her expertise as a theorist to offer new interpretations of the photographs. |
| Impact | Keynote Speech, 'Re-imag(in)ing life-making, or queering the somatechnics of reproductive futurity' given at 'Somatechnical Figurations: Kinship, Bodies, Affects' international conference, Södertörn University, Stockholm 2012. Book Chapter, 'Re-imag(in)ing Life-Making , or Queering the Somatechnics of Reproductive Futurity' for Critical Kinship Studies: Kinship (Trans) Formed, 2015. Co-authored peer reviewed book chapter |
| Start Year | 2010 |