Abstract
The social and academic visibility of transsexual men happened later than that of transgender women. Even more invisible are the transition experiences of Black trans men as they aggregate the gender-race intersection. This qualitative study aimed to analyze how Black transgender men experience their gender transition in light of the concept of intersectionality. In total, four men, aged 22-33 years, who declared themselves Black and transsexual participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, followed by thematic analysis. Results indicate that the social recognition of transmasculine identities crosses racism when it intersects with transphobia. To the extent that they are recognized as men, they receive the racist attribute of “dangerous.” Low employability is one of the perverse consequences of this reading, which articulates two axes of subordination: transgender and race. Breaking this cycle of intersectional disempowerment urgently requires public policies.
Keywords:
transsexuality; racial and ethnic relations; racism; gender identity; intersectionality