TY - CHAP
T1 - ‘Girl brain… boy body’
T2 - Representations of trans characters in children’s picture books
AU - Bartholomaeus, Clare
AU - Riggs, Damien W.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - While an increasing number of children disclose that they are trans, there are few resources aimed at children which include representations of trans people. This chapter presents a comprehensive audit of picture books portraying trans characters. Despite their potential usefulness, many of the books perpetuate normative discourses about gender and display only narrow forms of acceptance. Three key aspects are analysed: 1) adherence to a binary model of gender, 2) ‘appropriate’ gendered clothing, behaviours and interests and 3) the reliance on professionals for diagnosis. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the potential importance of books with trans characters for children, both for trans children so that they can see themselves reflected in the world around them, and for cisgender children so that they are aware of trans people’s lives.
AB - While an increasing number of children disclose that they are trans, there are few resources aimed at children which include representations of trans people. This chapter presents a comprehensive audit of picture books portraying trans characters. Despite their potential usefulness, many of the books perpetuate normative discourses about gender and display only narrow forms of acceptance. Three key aspects are analysed: 1) adherence to a binary model of gender, 2) ‘appropriate’ gendered clothing, behaviours and interests and 3) the reliance on professionals for diagnosis. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the potential importance of books with trans characters for children, both for trans children so that they can see themselves reflected in the world around them, and for cisgender children so that they are aware of trans people’s lives.
KW - children’s picture books
KW - trans characters
KW - trans people
KW - binary model of gender
KW - gendered behaviours
KW - trans children
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85082566147&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4324/9781315145815-14
DO - 10.4324/9781315145815-14
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85082566147
SN - 9781138504097
SN - 9781138504103
T3 - Gender, Bodies and Transformation
SP - 135
EP - 149
BT - The Emergence of Trans
A2 - Pearce, Ruth
A2 - Moon, Igi
A2 - Gupta, Kat
A2 - Steinberg, Deborah Lynn
PB - Carfax Publishing, Taylor and Francis Group
CY - London, UK
ER -