University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Individual, Family, and Community Education Education ETDs ETDs Spring 5-11-2019 Affecting Social Change for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Children: Exploring Advocates' Perspectives Cortny Stark Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/educ_ifce_etds Part of the Community-Based Research Commons, Counselor Education Commons, Disability Studies Commons, Education Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, and the Other Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Stark, Cortny. "Affecting Social Change for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Children: Exploring Advocates' Perspectives." (2019). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/educ_ifce_etds/75 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Education ETDs at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. 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EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES i EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES ii Affecting Social Change for Transgender and Gender-Expansive Children: Exploring Advocates' Perspectives by Cortny Stark B.A., Criminology, University of New Mexico, 2010 M.A., Professional Counseling & Rehabilitation Counseling, New Mexico Highlands University, 2013 DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Counselor Education The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico May 2019 EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES iii AFFECTING SOCIAL CHANGE FOR TRANSGENDER AND GENDER-EXPANSIVE CHILDREN: EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES by Cortny Stark B.A., CRIMINOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, 2010 M.A., PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING & REHABILITATION COUNSELING, NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS UNIVERSITY, 2013 DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, COUNSELOR EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO, 2019 ABSTRACT This interpretive case study explored the experience of advocates as they pursue social change for transgender and gender-expansive children (ages 4-12). The aim of the study is to improve current understanding of the process of advocacy for this population, as well as the context in which advocacy efforts occur. Data consisted of hour long interviews, advocacy artifacts as recommended by participants, and the researcher’s field journal. Participants included 12 advocates from a variety of backgrounds and geographic locations within the United States, to include educators, community advocates, and helping professionals. Implications of this study may include increased understanding of the advocacy process, and the various ways individuals navigate social systems to affect positive change for transgender and gender-expansive children. EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES iv TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………1 Statement of the Problem Defining Gender Affirming Gender & Contrasting Perspectives Marginalization, Discrimination & Politicization at the Individual and Systems Levels The Effects of Marginalization, Stigmatization & Politicization Addressing Marginalization, Discrimination & Politicization: The Role of Advocacy Purpose of the Study Why Advocacy ? Why Now? Significance of the Study Study Context & Relationship with Current Literature Sensitizing Concepts Research Questions Definitions Limitations Delimitations CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………………………21 Overview: The Interplay between Sociopolitical Context & Professional Conceptualization The Evolution of “Gender” & “Sex” The Gender Spectrums & the Genderbread Person The Gender Binary: Traversing Gender Norms Advocacy in Educational Settings EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES v Humanizing Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth The Role of the School Counselor as Ally and Advocate Advocacy Strategies in the School Setting Policing Gender Norms The School Environment The Family Context The Advocacy Efforts of Parents/Caregivers Affirming and Supportive Families The Advocacy Efforts of Parents/Caregivers Advocacy in Mental Health The Advocacy Competency Model & Counseling Competencies for Transgender Clients Advocacy through Community Collaboration Summary: Addressing a Niche CHAPTER 3 METHODS……………………………………………………………………41 Design of the Study Single Holistic Interpretive Case Study Why Case Study? Case Study and the Advocacy Process: Congruence Between Topic and Method of Inquiry Logistics and Planning Sample Selection Effective Case Study Design Sources of Evidence EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES vi The Field Journal Advocacy-Related Documents and Artifacts Researcher Memos The Case Study Database The Chain of Evidence Role of the Researcher Data Analysis Procedures Methods for Verification Credibility Transferability Dependability Confirmability CHAPTER 4 FINDINGS………………………………………………………………………68 Research Design: Evolution During Data Collection Case Study Data: Adequacy of Number of “Units” or Data Sources Member-Checking of Transcripts Changes to Interview Protocol Case Portraiture Context Voice Relationship Emergent Themes The Aesthetic Whole EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES vii Participant Case Portraits Valerie Craig Bobbie Suzanne Amanda Hank Chad Janet Helen Lana Gavin Joel Cross Case Analysis and Review CHAPTER 5 DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………270 Meta-Matrix & Mental Maps Acts of Advocacy Development as an Advocate Sociopolitical Context Triangulation of Investigators Transgender and Gender-Expansive Youth v. Children Implications for Counselor Education and Clinical Practice Suggestions for Future Research EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES viii References…………………………………………………………………………………….274 Appendices……………………………………………………………………………………292 Appendix A: Interview Protocol for Advocates (other than helping professionals) Appendix B: Interview Protocol for Helping Professionals Appendix C: Nomination Recruiting Letter Appendix D: General Recruiting Letter Appendix E: Demographic Survey Appendix F: Informed Consent EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES ix “None of us get into this work because it's fun or because it sounds interesting. We get into the work because we're somewhat touched by it, broken by it, and need to heal in some way, shape, or form. And that was certainly a part of it for me.” – Participant Amanda EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES 1 Chapter 1 Introduction Statement of the Problem “Indeed, we can argue that no one achieves autonomy without the assistance or support of a community, especially if one is to make a brave and difficult choice such as transitioning” (Butler, 2004, p. 76) Defining Gender Gender consists of three primary components: Identity, body, and expression. Identity refers to one’s “deeply held, internal sense of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither” (“The Gender Spectrum”, 2018), while the bodily aspect of gender attends to one’s experience in their body, and how society “genders” their body. The expression of gender is how one presents their gender to others, and how society, community, and family may attempt to shape or influence one’s gender (“The Gender Spectrum”, 2018). Forces within society, one’s community, and the school environment may either reinforce oppressive social norms about gender, or support and affirm gender-variant identities, and advocate for social change. Transgender and gender-expansive youth self-identify their gender as early as three years of age (Lopez, Stewart, & Jacobson-Dickman, 2016), and express their gender identity in a variety of ways. Young children may articulate their transgender identity and expression verbally or behaviorally by indicating a preference for dressing like the gender with which they identify, preferring playmates of the gender with which they identify, expressing a strong dislike for their sexual anatomy, and exhibiting a desire for sex characteristics of their (use of gender pronoun intentional) identified gender (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). When compared to children merely exploring gender identity and expression, the experience of children who EXPLORING ADVOCATES’ PERSPECTIVES 2 identify as transgender is distinct, as transgender children consistently, insistently, and persistently describe their gender identity as that which does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth (Zucker, 2005). While persons who are transgender often identify with one of the binary genders (e.g. male or female), both transgender and gender-expansive individuals may describe their gender identity as both male and female genders, neither male nor female, or may describe their identity in their own unique terms (The Gender Spectrum, 2018). In other words, the meaning assigned to the terms transgender and gender-expansive are specific to the individual who uses this term to describe their identity, and the definitions provided in this manuscript may not be accurate for all transgender and gender-expansive individuals. Affirming Gender & Contrasting Perspectives The medical community and mental health professions conceptualize transgender and gender-expansive identities as a normative part of human development (Stein, 2017; Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling, 2009), and “not inherently pathological” (American Psychological Association, 2015, p. 835). The Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC) (2009), a branch of the American Counseling Association (ACA), provides helping professionals with competencies for counseling