Library and Academic Services: Gender and Sexual Diversity: Transgender and Non-binary

What does Transgender and Non-binary mean?

The T in 2SLGBTQIA+ stands for “transgender.”

The transgender and non-binary identities denote a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex. Nonbinary individuals may be considered part of the transgender spectrum and identify with a gender outside of “the male-female gender binary.

Image source: Public domain

Library Resources

Gender Ambiguity in the Workplace by Alison Ash Fogarty; Lily Zheng
Location: HD 6285 .F64 2018 (Exchange District Campus)
The transgender community is more visible now than ever before, but the diversity within this community has remained obscure in the workplace as organizations, corporations, and institutions struggle to keep up with the rate at which transgender communities are gaining visibility. For leaders seeking best practices related to bathroom access, workplace transition, hiring practices, inclusive workplace culture, and more, this book offers guidance and novel policy recommendations designed to ensure the success of transgender employees.
Transgender 101 by Nicholas M. Teich
Location: HQ 77.9 .T45 2012 (Notre Dame Campus)
Written by a social worker, popular educator, and member of the transgender community, this well-rounded resource combines an accessible portrait of transgenderism with a rich history of transgender life and its unique experiences of discrimination. Chapters introduce transgenderism and its psychological, physical, and social processes. They describe the coming out process and its effect on family and friends, the relationship between sexual orientation and gender, and the differences between transsexualism and lesser-known types of transgenderism. Each chapter explains how transgender individuals handle their gender identity, how others view it within the context of non-transgender society, and how the transitioning of genders is made possible.
Beyond Trans by Heath Fogg Davis
Location: eBook (Also in print: HQ 77.95 .U6 D39 2017 (Notre Dame Campus))
Beyond Trans pushes the conversation on gender identity to its limits: questioning the need for gender categories in the first place. Whether on birth certificates, college admissions applications, or bathroom doors, why do we need to mark people and places with sex categories? Do they serve a real purpose, or are these places and forms just mechanisms of exclusion? Heath Fogg Davis offers an impassioned call to rethink the usefulness of dividing the world into not just Male and Female categories but even additional categories of Transgender and gender fluid. ...
The Lives of Transgender People by Genny Beemyn; Susan Rankin
Location: eBook (Also in print: HQ 77.95 .U6 .B44 2011 (Notre Dame Campus))
Beemyn and Rankin track the formation of gender identity across individuals and groups, beginning in childhood and marking the "touchstones" that led participants to identify as transgender. They explore when and how participants noted a feeling of difference because of their gender, the issues that caused them to feel uncertain about their gender identities, the factors that encouraged them to embrace a transgender identity, and the steps they have taken to meet other transgender individuals. Beemyn and Rankin's findings expose the kinds of discrimination and harassment experienced by participants in the U.S. and the psychological toll of living in secrecy and fear...
Supporting Young Transgender Men by Matthew Waites
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2018
There is currently a lack of information regarding the specific needs of young transgender men and the barriers they face. This can lead to professionals having to give generic advice, which may not be appropriate for the situation. Written to address this shortfall, this book provides professionals with the guidance they need to effectively and supportively work with young transgender men. It looks at some obstacles trans men face across health and care services. Addressing topics such as the social impact of transitioning, the potential impact on mental health and emotional well-being and common myths and misconceptions about transitioning, this guide is essential for anyone working with young transgender men.
They/Them/Their: a guide to non-binary and genderqueer identities by Eris Young
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2019
In this insightful and long-overdue book, Eris Young explores what it's like to live outside of the gender binary and how it can impact one's relationships, sense of identity, use of language and more. Drawing on the author's own experiences as a nonbinary person, as well as interviews and research, it shares common experiences and challenges faced by those who are nonbinary and what friends, family and other cisgender people can do to support them. Breaking down misconceptions and providing definitions, the history of nonbinary identities and gender-neutral language, and healthcare information, this much-needed guide is for anyone wanting to fully understand nonbinary and genderqueer identities.
Gender Diversity and Non-Binary Inclusion in the Workplace by Sarah Gibson; J. Fernandez
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2018
Helping to create inclusive work environments for non-binary people, this book builds knowledge of non-binary identities. It provides practical solutions to many basic workplace problems this group faces. Working with and including non-binary people in the workplace is beneficial for both employer and employee, as it attracts and retains younger and non-binary workers by helping promote an inclusive brand and satisfying equality obligations. Based on novel research of non-binary inclusion within businesses, it provides a basic overview of non-binary people, a business case for inclusion, a brief description of how non-binary people fit into current equality laws and likely future developments in the area. An ideal introduction for companies wishing to embrace all genders in the workplace.
Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary People with Disabilities or Illnesses by Jennie Kermode
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2019
By drawing on the experience of trans people who are affected by physical disability, chronic illness and mental illness, this book is the definitive guide on providing best practise in approaches to health and care policy. Suggesting solutions to areas where understanding and care provision is poor, Kermode advises on topics such as transitioning with a disability, sex-specific service provision and fertility and reproduction. The book also examines how health and care professionals can adapt to cater to transgender and non-binary people's needs and can support those who must use health services due to their condition...
Trans Love: an anthology of transgender and non-binary voices by Freiya Benson (Editor)
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2019
Selected as a 2019 LGBT Book of the Year by Dazed and Ms. Magazine, A ground-breaking anthology of writing on the topic of love, written by trans and non-binary people who share their thoughts, feelings and experiences of love in all its guises. The collection spans familial, romantic, spiritual and self-love, as well as friendships and ally love, to provide a broad and honest understanding of how trans people navigate love and relationships and what love means to them. Reclaiming what love means to trans people, this book provokes conversations that are not reflected in what is presently written, moving the narrative around trans identities away from sensationalism. At once intimate, radical, humorous, and poignant, this book is for anyone who has loved, is in love, and is looking for love.
Gender in Canada: A Companion Workbook by Rebecca Yoshizawa (Ed.); Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Publication Date: (2023)
This workbook is designed for first or second-year sociology of gender or gender studies courses, focusing on the Canadian context. It is divided into five topics – Theory and Concepts, Institutions, Work, Family and Intimate Relationships, and Bodies and Health.

Webpages, media, and other resources

How to talk (and listen) to transgender people | Jackson Bird

Gender should be the least remarkable thing about someone, but transgender people are still too often misunderstood. To help those who are scared to ask questions or nervous about saying the wrong thing, Jackson Bird shares a few ways to think about trans issues. And in this funny, frank talk, he clears up a few misconceptions about pronouns, transitioning, bathrooms and more.

Community members – Trans Health Klinic
A list of resources for Trans Community members
Gender and Sexuality Galaxies – Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Tool
Comprehensive sexuality education acknowledges diverse identities related to sexuality and gender, while providing students with tools to critically analyze the ways that gender and sex are socially constructed. Gender and sex are both concepts that have been socially constructed as binary and static over time. Tools for critically examining gender norms and stereotypes, as well as binary understandings of gender and sex, are important because they can help affirm a student’s lived experiences and identities, as well as provide opportunities for empowerment across all gender identities and expressions.
A Guide To Non-binary Pronouns And Why They Matter
I came out as genderqueer when I was 17 years old, and now at 33, I’ve spent almost half my life as an out-genderqueer person! For me being genderqueer means that I’m not a man or a woman and that, regardless of my presentation, my gender identity exists outside of the binary of female or male.
Health care providers – Trans Health Klinic
A list of resources for health care providers.
Tips for Allies of Transgender People
The following are tips that can be used as you move toward becoming a better ally to transgender people. Of course, this list is not exhaustive and cannot include all the "right" things to do or say because often there is no one "right" answer to every situation you might encounter.

Children and youth

The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution by Ann Travers
Location: eBook (Also in print: HQ 77.9 .T715 2018 (Notre Dame Campus))
A groundbreaking look at the lives of transgender children and their families Some "boys" will only wear dresses; some "girls" refuse to wear dresses; in both cases, as Ann Travers shows in this fascinating account of the lives of transgender kids, these are often more than just wardrobe choices. Travers shows that from very early ages, some at two and three years old, these kids find themselves different from the sex category assigned to them at birth. This remarkable and groundbreaking book focuses on how they make their voices heard--to their parents and friends, in schools, in public spaces, and through the courts...
Transgender Children and Youth by Elijah C. Nealy
Location: HQ 77.9 .N43 2017 (Notre Dame Campus)
Summary: A comprehensive guide to the medical, emotional, and social issues of trans kids. Nowadays, it is practically impossible not to hear about some aspects of transgender life. Whether it is the bathroom issue in North Carolina, trans people in the military, or on television, trans life has become front and center after years of marginalization. And kids are coming out as trans at younger and younger ages, which is a good thing for them. But what written resources are available to parents, teachers, and mental health professionals who need to support these children? Elijah C. Nealy, a therapist, former deputy executive director of New York City's LGBT Community Center, and himself a trans man has written the first-ever comprehensive guide to understanding, supporting, and welcoming trans kids.
Transgender Youth by Shemya Vaughn
Location: ebook
Publication Date: 2016
According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, "more than 50% of transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday." This data demonstrates a dire need for caregivers, educators and providers to have a better understanding of youths experiencing gender dysphoria (and gender non-conforming youth, who are often mistaken for transgender youth). Presently, our binary society makes the lives of transgender youth more challenging than they need be. Childhood and adolescence mark the start of our gender identity development, our sexual orientation development, and our racial identity development. Those intersections create enough interpersonal and intrapersonal challenges without the added stress of rejection for belonging to a minority group in one or more of those three developmental areas. ...

Transgender kids are just kids after all | Amber Briggle | TEDxTWU
A self-identified feminist mom tells her story of coming to recognize her son for who he is rather than who she assumed he was based on his sex assigned at birth. Gender non-conformity is something often championed by feminists, but trans identity is something else entirely.

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