Abstract
Dichotomous models of gender have been criticized for failing to represent the experiences of individuals who claim neither an unambiguously female nor male identity. In this paper we argue that the feminist theoretical framework of intersectionality provides a generative approach for interpreting these experiences of gender multiplicity. We review our previous research on four young sexual-minority (i.e., nonheterosexual) women who are participants in a 10-year longitudinal study of sexual identity development, applying the framework of intersectionality to understand their exploration of transgendered experience and identification. Our analysis highlights the value of intersectionality as a framework for understanding not only multiplicity across identity constructs (e.g.., race, gender, etc.) but also within identity constructs (i.e., female and male).
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Diamond, L.M., Butterworth, M. Questioning Gender and Sexual Identity: Dynamic Links Over Time. Sex Roles 59, 365–376 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9425-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9425-3