Gender Matters: The Perceived Role of Gender Expression in Discrimination Against Cisgender and Transgender LGBQ Individuals

Abstract

Although violation of gender norms has been discussed as a fundamental component of and underlying foundation for anti-queer discrimination, less research has directly attended to how lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) individuals interpret the role of gender expression in discriminatory experiences. Based upon a racially diverse national sample of 138 cisgender and transgender LGBQ individuals, I discuss results from a content and thematic analysis of discrimination narratives. Findings reveal the centrality of gender expression—how one embodies masculinity and femininity—within participant stories. While gender expression was central to meaning-making among all participants, the type of discrimination experienced and participants’ interpretation of the events depended on whether their gender expression “revealed” or “concealed” their queerness. Race and gender identity also informed participants’ interpretations, underscoring the need for greater attention to how gender norm expectations are racialized and cisnormative. These findings challenge the conceptualization of sexual orientation as an “invisible” identity and the notion of “passing” (i.e., being perceived as straight) as a uniform privilege for some LGBQ individuals. Instead, these results situate the perception of sexual orientation as context-dependent and highlight the need for advocacy efforts that identify and challenge strict gender ideologies, in particular gender binaries.

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“…Research that begins by probing marginalized groups' experiences can identify relevant features of real-world situations to retain for lab-based studies. For example, sexual minorities indicate that their experiences of discrimination rely on gender expression (i.e., the extent to which they "pass" as heterosexual and as conventionally feminine/masculine); however, when social psychologists assess sexual stigma, rarely do they manipulate target gender expression despite sexual minorities reporting that people use information about their gender expression to enact bias (e.g., Anderson, 2020;Hoskin, 2019). Consistent with standpoint theory, marginalized groups may possess superior awareness of inequality and injustice.…”

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“…In the lack of behavioral and verbal cues to signify an individual's sexual orientation, gender expression is often used as a determinate [12]. Extant literature maintains that gay men are often portrayed as being more effeminate than their heterosexual counterparts, affecting gay men's perceptions of their own gender and sexual identities [6,18,19].…”

“…Gender expression encompasses an individual's conformity (or transgression) of societal gender norms, masculinity and femininity, where in traditional heteronormative and western societies, men are expected to be aggressive, brave, and stoic while women are expected to be emotive, passive, and sentimental [12,13]. Additionally, Bradley [14] explicates that heteronormative masculinity distinguishes itself through the exclusion and oppression of its outgroup actors, women and gay men, who threaten its very essence.…”

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“…Research that begins by probing marginalized groups' experiences can identify relevant features of real-world situations to retain for lab-based studies. For example, sexual minorities indicate that their experiences of discrimination rely on gender expression (i.e., the extent to which they “pass” as heterosexual and as conventionally feminine/masculine); however, when social psychologists assess sexual stigma, rarely do they manipulate target gender expression despite sexual minorities reporting that people use information about their gender expression to enact bias (e.g., Anderson, 2020; Hoskin, 2019). Consistent with standpoint theory, marginalized groups may possess superior awareness of inequality and injustice.…”