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Passing and Transphobic Bullying: Stigmatized Identity in Transgender Aesthetics

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Passing and Transphobic Bullying: Stigmatized Identity in Transgender Aesthetics REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL EDUCATION ISSN: 2146-0353 ● © RIGEO ● 11(4), WINTER, 2021 www.rigeo.org Research Article Passing and Transphobic Bullying: Stigmatized Identity in Transgender Aesthetics Luis Fernando Cedeño Astudillo1 Luis Miguel Rondón García2 Universidad Metropolitana del Ecuador Universidad de Málaga [email protected] [email protected] Abstract Passing, in gender studies, is seen as the situation in which a transgender woman is physically perceivable as a cis woman. A trans person who is perceived as cisgender may face less bullying, harassment, and risk of violence, as well as better employment opportunities. In the same way, since passing is an aesthetic component of the trans physiognomy, depending on its level, people could integrate what Goffman calls discredited and discreditable. In the case of trans persons deprived of liberty, the level of passing can easily be distinguished from the privileged groups, and therefore bullying can be even worse. 24 trans people deprived of liberty were interviewed, who voluntarily agreed to answer questions related to passing. The interviews were processed using the SPSS statistical software. (3) The results in the present work suggest that there is a direct relationship between the passing level and the scarcity of social opportunities due to bullying. In the conclusions, we can demonstrate that factors such as the bullying, economy, family support, and social inclusion are predominant factors in the physical development of trans people. This work is part of the doctoral thesis for the University of Malaga, currently under development. Keywords Bullying, passing, transgender, aesthetics. To cite this article: Astudillo, L, F.; and García, L, M. (2021) Passing and Transphobic Bullying: Stigmatized Identity in Transgender Aesthetics. Review of International Geographical Education (RIGEO), 11(4), 1633-1645. doi: 10.48047/rigeo.11.04.152 Submitted: 09-03-2021● Revised: 06-04-2021● Accepted: 07-05-2021 © RIGEO ● Review of International Geographical Education 11(4), WINTER, 2021 Introduction History represents gender as categories that seek stagnation around the body, with the tendency to assume that female and male bodies maintain the same meaning in all cultural periods. However, the various interpretations that the body and its social variations have had, allow us to know the meaning of bodies far beyond what is socially established. Passing, or the ability to pass, is perhaps the most complicated situation for the transgender community due to the difficulty, within social binarism, of being phenotypically recognized as part of the self-perceived gender, and suffer constant bullying for not having the proper appearance. However, resembling someone according to their gender is more of an economic issue than a rights issue (Arriaga & Parent, 2019).Although the discourse of positive discrimination seeks to include, to avoid social bullying, the LGBT population regardless of their physical appearance, the cur-rent situation shows that each of its letters has its own preferences in different sectors. It is intended to say that, although the LGBT community presents itself as a society with the same rights, its members play different roles based on their gender and representation (Gómez-Restrepo, 2018). It is easy to observe a lesbian (L), a gay man (G), or a bisexual (B) establish themselves in the world of work or education without too many complications, because in the end, the meritocratic system has been gaining ground and acceptance of their sexual orientation is allowed. However, the reality that the remaining letter, that is, T for transgender, offers a different image to the chimera pursued by social activists. Goffman and Guinsberg (1970) indicates that it was the ancient Greeks who developed the term stigma with which they referred to signs, bodily signs with which they tried to demonstrate something unusual and bad within the society in which they lived, feeling- These stigmata were rejected as it undermined the modesty of Greek society. This term, as well as those actions of rejection, have lasted until our time. According to him, the identity of the woman who was engaged in prostitution was created under the idea of being different, of not having acceptance by society, and under what he calls stigma (Miric, Alvaro, Gonzalez, & Torres, 2017). This word was used to refer to a quality that reveals society's rejection of the type of work that prostitution is, causing sex workers to have little social interaction and constant psychological abuse. However, for him, it is important to determine the degree of social connotation that this quality has in the environment where the individual is situated. For example, in some ancient societies, being homosexual was considered a natural quality, while in others such as Europeans under the influence of Christianity, saw this condition worse and demanded to hide this quality. Just as there are gays who can appear to be heterosexual people or indigenous natives who easily adopt the customs and habits of a cosmopolitan society (both for a matter of acceptance), trans people who want to pass as swans to face less discrimination, can undergoing alarming levels of stress. Of course, having an invisible passing facilitates adaptation in the world of work and personal relationships. But while the transition from one gender to another lasts, the interaction can be challenging given that gender self-determination may not yet correspond to the perception that others receive, causing a wrong reading of their representation, and therefore, an alarming level of bullying in all social spheres (Manus, 2019). In a person with a trans identity, stigmas and labels will always be more visible. If we adhere to the concepts of the discreditable and discredited of Goffman himself, those discredited represent the individuals whose stigmas are more visible, therefore, the social implication of public policy will have to do with the handling of more violent, direct speech and explicit by the media that sees the labels, even if they do not know them (López, 2020). Therefore, their interaction will depend on whether their interlocutors know the stigmas that surround the transgender and transsexual population and the ways to disguise it for each situation. This, in gay and bisexual people, may not represent more than a superficially solvable problem, but in trans people it is impossible. Therefore, transphobic bullying can be considered a discriminatory practice based on prejudices or negative opinions against trans people. Of course, this can be affected to a greater extent by the type of work that trans people do and the level of passing, but it can also affect cis people but who visibly do not adapt to gender stereotypes. Both (Jung, 1953) and (Goffman & Guinsberg, 1970) identified two types of self: the public and the private. That same, regarding how passing is related to bullying, links the stigmatization of trans people with an aesthetic nature, and, therefore, a notorious concern about beauty, since visual transfer refers more to the idealization of belonging to a social group in which can hardly be accepted. Passing, in trans people, implies yes or yes to achieve the maximum cisgender appearance without giving it to notice; In other words, for a trans person to have a high level of 1634 Astudillo, L, F.; and García, L, M. (2021) Passing and Transphobic Bullying: Stigmatized Identity in Transgen…. passing, they must appear cisgender even in the face of transphobia. But this does not imply that passing refers strictly to conventional beauty, since meeting the standard of physical beauty is less important than not exhibiting physical characteristics typical of a woman (Rogers, 1992). There- fore, while an acceptable cisgender appearance is a central concern, achieving a perfect aesthetic should not be viewed as a desired success. Even among trans academics and political activists, there is a debate about whether passing should be seen as a good or bad ideal. Among the positions in favor, it is considered that a complete passing would imply a denial of the trans identity, since passing would become, and would strengthen the invisibility of transgenderism and, therefore, of its problems (Stone, 1993). On the other hand, those in favor consider that this perspective is wrong, because, although it is important for their ideas about gender perspectives, they practically accuse trans people of not being aware of their identity. But outside of this, there is a reality that cannot be discussed: in most cases, trans women in the media represent their success through aesthetic achievements. But the physical parameters on trans identity are not exclusive to the media, because these representations acquire a high relevance in everyday social media such as work, education, and art in general.Goffman and Guinsberg (1970) in Deteriorated Identity states that stigmas must be examined in terms of setting and behind the scenes. While the main stage is where we perform and present our public identity to others, the backstage is the place where we feel confident about ourselves, and we rehearse how we are going to show ourselves in the social environment. With passing, it happens exactly the same: for the trans community, passing is necessary to coexist on stage without any kind of bullying, then to have overcome medical and aesthetic procedures within the frame. Butler (1990) somewhat discussed the meaning of Goffman's theory that identity is a mere form
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