“Doing Fear”: The Influence of Hetero-femininity on (Trans)Women's Fears of Victimization

Abstract

AbstractThrough 26 in-depth interviews with male-to-female transsexuals (transwomen), this study examines transwomen's perceptions of safety, pre- and post-transition. The majority reported higher levels of fear and believed they would be unable to fight off an attacker post-transition even though most were large statured and were socialized as males. Exposure to heterosexual practices and to cultural messages depicting women as physically weak and sexually vulnerable, and transwomen's embodiment of hetero-femininity play a central role in increasing their fears. Their experiences as women are powerful enough to override decades of prior male experiences and expose the socially constructed nature of fear and bodily agency. ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe authors wish to thank the anonymous reviewers and editors, including special issue editor Dr. Nancy Fischer, for valuable comments and suggestions on this paper.NOTESNotes1 Cisgender refers to individuals whose assigned birth gender matches their assigned biological sex and "replaces the terms 'nontransgender' or 'bio man or bio woman'" (CitationSchilt and Westbrook 2009:461).2 SRS is the dominant terminology used, but some trans-people may prefer other terms, such as gender-confirming surgery or genital realignment surgery.