ABSTRACT
Trans people are often invisible in official statistics and reporting on intimate partner violence (IPV), or they are subsumed into the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans umbrella. This neglects the heterogeneity and specificity of trans people’s experiences. In recent years, however, there has been a marked increase in empirical literature concerning trans people’s experiences of IPV although trans men have not enjoyed a prominent position in this literature. Therefore, this chapter explores trans men’s experiences of IPV. The chapter employs a conceptual framework, as well as empirical data, to provide an analysis of the relational contexts for and impacts of IPV for trans men. The conceptual framework is undergirded by the concept of cisgenderism to illuminate both micro-level complexities of IPV in trans men’s relationships as well as the influence of social structures. In this analysis, cisgenderism is seen as a systemic, multi-level and pervasive prejudicial ideology based upon notions of gender normativity. Cisgenderism refers to the position which sees gender and gender identity as embedded within an essentialist discourse that adopts fixed ideas about gender identities, aesthetics and expression. The chapter draws on data taken from two qualitative studies that explored trans people’s experiences of IPV and family violence. The discussion integrates an intersectional approach (which views identity as multiple, dynamic, situated and contingent) to explore the subjectivities and specificity of IPV for trans men who have different personal and demographic backgrounds, and who embody and practice different forms of trans masculinity.
