This thesis paper gives a brief history of the vampire narrative and its role in representing the collective anxieties of an age as well as serving as a metaphor for oppressed peoples. It uses Bram Stoker’s Dracula and J. Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla as historical examples of how the vampire adapts to suit issues of the day such as reverse colonization and female sexuality, respectively. The latter part of this paper speculates on the future role of the vampire in literature and proposes that the vampire could be used to discuss transgender issues as well as challenge the gender binary. It addresses the suitability of the vampire narrative in particular for representing gender as a spectrum using the lenses of Foucault’s heterotopias, Kristeva’s abject, and Freud’s uncanny and pulls examples of early evidence of this trend from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

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Reflecting the masculine ethos of the larger comic book industry, superhero comics continue to be male-dominated spaces. Within comic studies, superhero scholars problematically normalize this androcentrism by reiterating the genre’s masculinist rhetoric, repeatedly positioning superheroes as stoic figures of whiteness, nationhood, heteronormativity and able-bodied masculinity. Although some intervention has been made to challenge these interpretations, scholars fail to acknowledge how transgender and/or transsexual readers evaluate comic heroes. This thesis provides one such intervention into the field, specifically focusing on the last son of Krypton, Superman. Drawing together the work of trans, queer, feminist, psychoanalytic, and monster theorists, my research attempts to “trans” Superman; thus, (re)reading the Man of Steel in a way that distinctly reflects the experiences of those who are denied access to the figure via their/our own gender “transgressions”. By interpolating transsexuality into the Superman narrative, I rewrite the figure’s place within the genre’s cis-sexist, masculinist history and while doing so, (re)position him as a more suitable hero for the trans community. / Thesis (Master, Gender Studies) -- Queen's University, 2013-12-05 10:35:05.511

Background: Gender Variance (GV) is an experience that the gender assigned at birth is different to one’s preferred gender identity. It includes the possibility of a preferred gender identity being different to either male or female. It is reported that around 4000 people per year access care from the NHS in relation to GV (Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES), 2009) and both the physical and psychological elements of these experiences is well documented. However, little research specifically explores how Gender Variant (GVt) people make sense of their experiences and construct meaningful expression of their preferred identity. The aim of this study is to further the understanding of GV with a view to considering the implications for service provision to this population. Methodology: The study employed a qualitative method that explored the narratives of the participants. A purposive sample of seven participants self identified as GVt was recruited for a single interview. The interviews used a topic guide to elicit the narratives that these people tell about their experiences. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a narrative approach to explore what the participants said and the way they said it. This was then situated within the local and broader social contexts within which the narratives exist. Analysis and findings: The findings are presented through a global impression of each of the individual narratives and then through discussion of the similarities and differences in relation to the collective storylines. Particular attention is paid to the identity construction and the emotional experiences that take place during the interviews. These two elements are told within and through each of the storylines. The local and wider narratives available to the participants are used to contextualise the analysis and findings, and so are reported within the analysis. The analysis offers the following findings: i) their first experiences of understanding GV was important, leading them to find others who felt the same to gain a sense of hope of a normal life ii) sharing their experiences with others was an anxiety provoking time and was part of a decision making process about treatment and establishing an acceptable gender expression iii) relationships with family, friends, peers and members of their social context influence sense making and identity constructions of GVt people and typify the challenges faced within their GVt experiences. Some of these challenges were reported as ongoing and illustrated throughout the stories of the day to day lives of the participants iv) for these participants distressing emotional challenges were often situated in the past and participants spoke of ‘overcoming’ challenges. This offered a counter to the more dominant isolation and loneliness narratives within the literature on GVt experiences The findings of the study are discussed in relation to its clinical implications, the strengths and limitations of the methodology, and directions for future research.

National Health Service (NHS) statistics show that 4000 people in the United Kingdom are receiving help for gender concerns (DH, 2008). Research has highlighted the importance of romantic relationships during early adulthood and an association with mental health (Fincham and Cui, 2011). The experience of romantic relationships among transgender people in ‘emerging adulthood’ (Arnett, 2000, 2006) is an under-researched area. The decision making process concerning, and construal of, romantic relationships among this group have yet to be investigated using Personal Construct Theory (PCT). This study uses qualitative and quantitative methods of inquiry from PCT to investigate the experiences of transgender people encountering romantic relationships. Overarching themes emerging from the participants in this study were of identity validation through romantic relationships, having a bi-gendered lens of the world, facilitating greater understanding in society, and learning from past relationships. Participants’ experiences are analysed individually, as well as as a group. Clinical significance of this, limitations and future research are also discussed.

The overall aim was to study transgender persons’ experiences of, and reactions upon, attitudes and social norms in relation to their gender identity. Another question that was relevant to answer was how transgender persons are affected by the hetero norm. The method used to collect data was through questionnaires published on the internet. The only requirement to participate was to be a transgender over 18 years old, and when the survey closed, 35 respondents had answered it. The questionnaire consisted of both quantitative and qualitative questions. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The results indicate that transgender persons living conditions are largely affected by norms, and that they encounter a considerable amount of negative attitudes due to their gender identity. To "pass" as either man or woman turned out to be something that made it easier for transgender people to evade negative attitudes. One hope is that this study can provide knowledge to different instances in the community to open up to be more open to critical thinking around norms. The conclusion was that persons with a transgender identity are affected by societal norms and by heteronormativity. It takes a lot of courage to be able to be one self but everything boils down to how strong a person are and the availability of support and role models in the surrounding society. / Studiens övergripande syfte var att studera transpersoners erfarenheter av, och reaktionerpå, omgivningens attityder samt samhällets normer i relation till deras könsidentitet. Ytterligare en fråga som var relevant att besvara var hur deras liv påverkas av heteronormen. Forskning kring transpersoner och hur de påverkas av normer och det omgivande samhället är relativt begränsat vilket var en av anledningarna till valet av ämne. Data samlades in genom enkäter publicerade på webben där 35 respondenter svarade. Kriterierna för att delta var att man var transperson och över 18 år. Svaren som kom in var från transpersoner spridda i Sverige. Enkäten bestod av både kvantitativa och kvalitativa frågor. Majoriteten av frågorna hade hämtats från Folkhälsomyndighetens frågeformulärriktat till transpersoner. Insamlat material har analyserats med hjälp av beskrivande statistik samt innehållsanalys. Resultatet tyder på att transpersoners livsvillkor i stor utsträckning påverkas av normer samt att de får utstå en hel del negativt bemötande på grund av sin könsidentitet. Att ”passera” som antingen man eller kvinna visade sigvara något som gör det enklare för transpersoner att undvika negativt bemötande. Kränkande behandling kom vanligast från främlingar och personer på internet. Negativt bemötande var något som respondenterna var vana vid och många berättade om händelser i vården där de blivit negativt bemötta av personalen. En förhoppning är att detta arbete kan bidra till att sprida kunskap till människor inom olika instanser i samhället för att öppna upp för ett mer normkritiskt perspektiv. Slutsatsen blev att transpersoner i stor utsträckning påverkas av normer och av det omgivande samhället. Dock beror mycket på hur stark man är som person, vilka förebilder som finns och hur mycket stöd man får från omgivningen.

Bakgrund: Svensk och internationell forskning berörande transpersoners hälsa och livssituation visar att diskriminerande behandling av transpersoner sträcker sig över så gott som alla samhällsinstitutioner. Diskriminering av transpersoner i hälso- och sjukvård är ett allvarligt problem som resulterat i en misstro till och ett undvikande av att söka hälso- och sjukvård bland transpersoner. I denna studie har problemet utforskats från perspektivet av sjuksköterskor i kontexten av somatisk akutsjukvård där sjuksköterskan kan vara den första kontakten mellan patienten och sjukvården. Trots att vårdtiderna kan vara korta, kan sjuksköterskans bemötande av patienten på akutmottagningen ha en stor påverkan på patientens fortsatta förtroende för sjukvården. Syfte: Avsikten var att identifiera förbättringsområden i omvårdnad av transpersoner genom att utforska sjuksköterskors upplevda möjligheter och begränsningar i vården av patienter med transidentitet på somatiska akutmottagningar. Metod: I arbetet användes en kvalitativ ansats med fokusgrupper. Studiedeltagarna innefattade tjugotvå sjuksköterskor från fem olika somatiska akutmottagningar i Mellansverige. Materialet bearbetades och analyserades enligt kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultat: Innehållsanalysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier och sex underkategorier. Resultaten visar att sjuksköterskorna upplever sig vårda patienter med ett likvärdigt förhållningssätt, utan att påverkas av sina personliga åsikter. Sjuksköterskorna upplevde en avsaknad av kunskap gällande vården av transpersoner. Sjuksköterskorna identifierade brister i vården, såsom möjlighet till mer personcentrerade inställningar på sjuksköterskornas arbetsinstrument och hjälpmedel. Slutsats: Personcentrerad omvårdnad identifierades som ett område för förbättring i sjuksköterskornas arbete för att stärka transpersoners position inom hälso- och sjukvård. Sjuksköterskor kan genom att representera professionen i organisationer som rör hbtq-frågor stärka relationen mellan hbtq-personer och sjukvården. / Background: Swedish and international research regarding the general health and living situation of transgender persons demonstrates experiences of discrimination from several community institutions. Discrimination of transgender persons in health care is a serious issue that has been shown to result in loss of faith and an avoidance of seeking medical attendance. This paper examines the issue from the perspective of registered nurses in a context of somatic emergency medical care, where nurses may be the first contact between the patient and the health care system. Despite the relatively fast treatment patients receive in emergency medical care, the treatment by a registered nurse can have a big impact on patients’ future perception of the health care system. Aim: The purpose of the study was to identify areas of improvement in the care of transgender persons by exploring registered nurses experiences of challenges and possibilities in the care of patients who identify as trans, in emergency medical care units. Method: The study held a qualitative approach with focus groups as a method. Study participants included twenty-two registered nurses emerging from five separate emergency wards in central Sweden. Data was processed and analyzed with content analysis with an inductive approach. Results: The content analysis resulted in three main categories and six subcategories. The results demonstrated that participating nurses perceived their treatment was given in a ‘natural’ manner, not affected by their personal attitudes. Nurses experienced a lack of knowledge regarding the care of transgender persons and believed education and a more inclusive work environment to be factors having a big impact on the relationship between a nurse and a transgender patient. Conclusion: Person-centered care was identified as a possible area for improvement in the registered nurses work with the aim to strengthen the position of transgender patients in healthcare. By representing the profession of registered nurses in organizations concerning lgbt-issues, the relationship between lgbt-persons and healthcare can be improved.

Bakgrund: En transperson är en person som inte identifierar sig med sitt juridiska kön utan mer som det motsatta könet, som både man och kvinna eller inget kön alls. Processen att genomgå en könsbekräftande behandling är såväl social som medicinsk och juridisk. Sjuksköterskan bör sträva efter att behandla samtliga patienter på ett jämlikt sätt. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie var att beskriva sjuksköterskans erfarenheter av att möta transpersoner samt att genomföra en metodologisk granskning av de inkluderade artiklarna. Metod: Detta är en litteraturstudie med beskrivande design, vars resultat har sin grund i åtta kvalitativa och en kvantitativ artikel. Dessa hämtades från databaserna Cinahl och Medline via PubMed. I granskningen av artiklarna framkom två teman och fem underrubriker. Den metodologiska aspekten är undersökningsgrupp. Huvudresultat: Sjuksköterskorna hade bristande kunskaper om transpersoner och därför skapades osäkerhet att bemöta och vårda dessa. Flertalet sjuksköterskor kände rädsla att diskriminera trots att intentionen var att möta dessa personer med respekt och värdighet. Antalet sjuksköterskor som deltog i studierna i de inkuderade artiklarna var 400. Studierna var utförda i USA, Kanada och Australien. Slutsats: Otillräcklig kunskap och rädsla för att göra fel påverkar sjuksköterskan i vårdandet av transpersoner. Mer forskning behövs för att öka förståelsen hos vårdpersonal för att ge bättre förutsättningar till jämlik vård av transpersoner samt för att ge bättre stöd till de som genomgår könsbekräftande behandling. / Background: A transgender person is a person who does not identify themselves as the gender assigned at birth but more as the opposite gender, as both man and woman or as neither of them. The process undergoing sex reassignment is social as well as medical and legal. The nurse should strive to treat all patients equally. Aim: The purpose of this study was to describe nurses experience in meeting transgender persons and to conduct a methodological review of the included articles. Method: This is a literature review with a descriptive design in which the result is based on eight qualitative and one quantitative article. These were collected from the databases Cinahl and Medline through PubMed. In the research of the articles there emerged two themes with five subheadings. The methodological aspect is study group. Results: The nurses expressed low knowledge about transgender people and therefore was uncertain how to meet and nurse them. Most nurses felt fear of discriminating despite the intention to treat these people with respect and dignity. The number of nurses who participated in the studies of the included articles was 400. The studies were performed in the United States, Canada and Australia. Conclusion: Inadequate knowledge and fear of making mistakes affect the nurse in the care of transgender persons. More research is needed to increase understanding for all health care professional and to provide better conditions for equal treatment of transgender persons and to provide better support for those undergoing gender sex reassignment treatment.

Navigating the process of coming out led to feelings of isolation, depression, and a loss of self-worth that were compounded by a period filled with negative social media and mainstream messaging. This thesis explores how an understanding of the systems and processes of nature as well as physical exposure to nature offered a place of healing and an avenue for understanding my identity as a Gay man: from identity confusion all the way through to identity synthesis. Using Scholarly Personal Narrative Methodology, I will interweave poetry and counter narrative storytelling to illustrate the significance of nature during my identity development. Sexual orientation is scrutinized and vilified through social media platforms, advertisements, and daily life under the basis of cultural ideology and social construction. This disregards the larger contextual importance of other species that exhibit similar behaviors. I maintain that a connection with nature can provide individuals with a broader and more balanced perspective of sexual orientation--whilst navigating through the coming out process leading to a confluent sense of identity with reduced internalized conflict.

The Institute of Medicine report of 2011 defined Transgender Specific Health Needs as one of four priority research areas. While there is research asserting that health care providers (HCPs) do not have adequate training in providing competent care to transgender patients, there are no studies to date assessing HCPs' gender identity attitudes and their willingness to learn the Standards of Care (SOC) developed for this patient population. According to the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, as of 2010, 52% of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) were practicing in primary care settings. As more than half of NPs practice in primary care and transgender patients often initially present their gender concerns to their primary care provider, this study focuses on the NP population. This study describes a sample of NPs' attitudes towards gender variance, as well as their perceived need and interest in learning the SOC as published by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Multi-state purposive sampling of NP professional organizations was conducted. Two conservative and two progressive states' professional organizations were included in the sample. The states were randomly assigned within both geopolitical groups to intervention or control with the use of a random numbers table. Comparisons between geopolitical groups and between control and intervention groups cannot be made due to low response rates of all states. The majority of this small sample of NPs agreed that they needed and wanted additional training in transgender health care. Future research with representative sample sizes is needed to better understand provider-sided barriers to caring for this marginalized patient population.