Intersectional Identities and Microaggressions: The Experience of Transgender Females

Historically, attention given to privileged LGBT minorities such as white LGBT individuals, renders those who experience multiple minority identities as unacknowledged. There is a scarcity of research exploring the intersectional experiences of transgender individuals and how these experiences impact their mental health and well-being. For that reason, the intent of this study was to learn more about transgender females who hold additional minority statuses, their transition experiences, their circumstances, and the nature of their social environment. Specifically, I investigated trans female experiences of transitioning with a specific focus on the intersection of gender identity, race, socioeconomic status (SES), and age. For this study, the research was conducted using a narrative tradition and an intersectionality theory paradigm. Data were collected through observations, archival data, and eight semi-structured individual interviews. Purposeful stratified sampling was used for the recruitment of self-identified transgender female participants from a local LGBT community center. It is my hope that through this research, counselors can begin to gain a rich understanding of the ways that issues of oppression can be more effectively addressed in the transgender community