Researcher Background

Hello, name is Kitty, and I am a trans woman who is currently working on a PhD in the field of Social Justice Education at OISE - University of Toronto. I hold prior degrees in the fields of Sexual Diversity Studies, Gender Studies and Social Justice Education. My personal and academic focuses are oriented towards trans rights, harm-reduction, ethical forms of care for trans communities, and the reduction of systemic barriers that negatively impact marginalized communities. (My preferred name is Kitty but my legal name is Jade as you will likely see on some of the documentation I have provided.)

Note: the final page of the ethic document I submitted contains the official approval letter.

Purpose of this Research Project

Life as a trans person, in a society that is dominated by cisgender and heterosexual assumptions, can often feel difficult to navigate. The needs of many trans communities often go misunderstood and underrepresented both within social contexts, but also within the structure of services intended to provide trans communities with care. As someone who is trans and who has accessed care services within the Greater Toronto Area, I myself have experienced misrecognition from my care providers when attempting to access care, and while my experiences do not speak for other trans people, my own experiences of misrecognition in conversation with the experiences of trans people with whom I have been in community over the years, and coupled with a lack of research to delineate the impact of said misrecognition, suggests there exists a gap between trans recognition and care services within the Greater Toronto Area. The goal of my research project is to better identify the gaps trans people face when attempting to access care related services within the GTA.

Trans recognition both amongst the general public and formal academic research has gained momentum in the last decade. (Stryker, 2020 302; Bettcher, 2019 647; Blas, 2019 44) This momentum can be seen within the incorporation of trans topics within fields such as Queer Theory and Gender Studies, but even more significantly within the steady growth of the field of Trans Studies (Bettcher, 2019 647; Raun 2014; 24; Namaste 2009, 12; Stryker, 2004 204). However, the major focus has been on binary conceptions of trans identity (Adair, Awkward-Rich, Marvin, 2020 306 – 310; Keegan, 2020 388; Chu, 2019 103; Raun, 2014 13; Namaste, 2009 23). The issue with limiting trans research to a binary perspective is that it posits trans identities in contrast to cis identities, wherein trans is viewed as lesser and cis is viewed as natural and normal. Trans identities are also reduced to a valuation of either being subversive or assimilative within a gender binary conceptualization and context. (Keegan, 2022 387-388; Blas, 2019 52; Chu, 2019 103).  As a result, our identities, needs and experiences have been homogenized, assimilated, and at times rendered silent (Blas, 2019 52).

In general, my proposed research takes an impetus from this predicament, which is barely identified or examined within academic literature. The general intent of my thesis is to focus on this reality by specifically focusing on trans people as they attempt to access care. The misconceptions of trans identities can impact the real-life experiences of trans people, including their access to care.

How this Research Will Help 2SLGBTQ+ People and Communities

Participants who wish to participate in my study will be contributing to revealing the barriers trans people face when accessing care, will assist in expanding knowledge on what trans people need and expect when accessing care, and will also contribute to breaking down systemic misconceptions that view trans people as broken, inadequate, and unqualified for adequate and humanizing care. The broader aim of my study is to honor the resilience within trans communities when faced with misrecognition in the context of accessing care and to reveal the impacts of a system that keep trans communities oppressed.

My study will look at events of misrecognition that occur between a care provider and a trans* person seeking care. My goal is to gain a deeper understanding of how trans* people experience misrecognition and how they choose to navigate events of misrecognition as they attempt to access care. In identifying the barriers trans people experience when accessing care if it my goal to reveal the greater systemic structures and outcomes of said structures, that place limitations, restrictions and at times anti-trans policies upon and into care providing services and institutions.

Eligibility & Participation

I will be seeking 8-10 participants who identify as trans* (I am defining trans* as either Transgender, Transsexual or as someone who undergoing or has undergone a gender transition), who are of adult age and who are or have been local to the Greater Toronto Area. Participants are required to self-identify as having experienced a process of misrecognition while attempting to access care. (‘Misrecognition’ will be defined as having one’s gender incorrectly read, labeled or communicated. ‘Care’ will be defined as care services provided by social services. Participants must be capable of providing their own consent. Sexual orientation will not determine one’s illegibility.

Compensation

Yes. Participants will be paid $30 per hour of interview time.

Participant Support & Mitigation Measures

As a trans person myself I have first hand experiences into how problematic some research studies on trans communities can be. It is my utmost priority to ensure that all parts of my study do not produce or reproduce harm onto trans people or trans populations. Participants who sign up for the study will be interviewed. Prior to the interview I will discuss with participants several "safety measures" that I wish to offer them, such as the ability to refuse to answer any question that may have brought up uncomfortable memories or feelings, the freedom to safely disagree with any interview question, the freedom to safely correct me if I at any point misinterpret something they have said.

How to Participate / Recruitment

I am reaching out to trans-affirmative institutions that support trans communities as the primary means of recruitment.
I am also asking participants who have already come into the study to share information regarding the research project with their own inner trans communities.
Upon being contacted by a prospective participant I offer a casual conversation via zoom to touch base, answer any questions they may have and explain the intake process, the structure of the interviews and the study itself. I will also send those interested in my study an information sheet that explains the study in detail - after the information sheet a consent form will be sent out for interested participants. Both the information sheet and consent form have been approved by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Toronto.