ABSTRACT
This chapter explores common themes found in fictional and “true” crime depictions of violent transgender offenders. There are a few real-life documented cases of transgender people committing violent acts, especially murder. Yet transgender and gender-nonconforming killers make regular appearances in films, television shows, and books. These fictional representations often include themes of maternal abuse, mental illness, sexual deviance, misogyny, and deception, all of which emerge in media portrayals of real-life trans criminals. This chapter begins with an analysis of some of the most familiar fictional representations of transgender killers, followed by a discussion of “true” crime depictions of transgender offenders. Similarities between these two genres are highlighted. Then, the chapter discusses the real-life case of serial killer Donna Perry. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the consequences of these depictions, both fictional and “true,” especially as they relate to emerging issues in criminology, such as gender critical perspectives, broader social attitudes toward trans people, and subsequent (non)support for sound civil and criminal legal policies regarding offending and non-offending transgender people.
