“Hacer” lo trans. Estrategias y procesos de transición de género en Turín (Italia)

Abstract

This article aims at adressing the trans experience from an empirical perspective, providing a sociological interpretation of the experience of gender transitioning, with particular reference to Turin (Italy). Gender and transsexuality are not considered as intrinsic properties of individuals, rather as interactive social processes. Trans people who live in a different gender from than assigned at birth undergo a series of gender-marker transformations which, conventionally, differentiate men and women, making evident the sings traditionally used by society to attribute gender to ourselves and others. In particular, we have identified three dimensions that define gender and which are seen to be affected by these modifications: the body, with special reference to sexual characteristics, sexuality, and gendered social roles. The modification of these gender markers may result in different processes of reproduction, innovation or transcending of the dominant gender schema. While competent members of society tend to reproduce the dominant patterns of gender and transition, there are still areas of resistance and transformation. The analyisis presented here is based on a post-doctoral research about gender transitioning, carried out in Turín (Italy) from March, 2008, to February, 2010.