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(Dis)Owning Exotic: Navigating Race, Intimacy, and Trans Identity
Author(s) -
Buggs Shantel Gabrieal
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sociological inquiry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.446
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1475-682X
pISSN - 0038-0245
DOI - 10.1111/soin.12348
Subject(s) - transphobia , taboo , gender studies , sociology , identity (music) , race (biology) , principle of legality , sexual orientation , transgender , romance , sexual identity , people of color , racism , immigration , human sexuality , psychology , political science , aesthetics , law , anthropology , psychoanalysis , philosophy
Despite societal shifts making the United States more inclusive, particularly among younger people, transgender people and people of color remain populations that have labels like “exotic” or “taboo” associated with them. This article explores the racialized dating experiences of an immigrant trans woman of color who uses online dating platforms to facilitate her dating life in Texas. Given that the existing literature on trans people tends to focus on identity development, health concerns, or questions of legality and policy in arenas such as the workplace and in education, there is still limited research on the romantic and sexual lives of trans people. In fact, much of the growing research on trans relationships focuses either on couples where one partner transitioned and the couple maintained a relationship or studies lumping trans experiences under an LGBT umbrella. Using an intersectional theoretical approach, this case study unpacks how race, racism, and transphobia, as well as internalized racial and gender logics, work in tandem to shape desirability and date ability.