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"Grounded in cutting-edge qualitative research, Trans and Sexuality explores the sexuality of people who do not identify with the gender that they were assigned at birth. Arguing that whilst splitting members of the trans community into distinct groups might seem like a reasonable theoretical procedure, the pervasive assumption that group membership impacts on the sexuality of trans people has unduly biased opinions in this highly contested, yet dramatically under-researched area. Moreover, whilst existing literature has taken a purely positivistic standpoint, or relies on methodology that could be seen as exploitative towards trans people, Richards is careful to place the real-life experiences of trans research participants at the heart of the work. Showing that sexuality extends beyond the bedroom, this forward-thinking book touches on topics such as identity, sexuality and the intersections between the two. Richards takes a cross-disciplinary approach and considers the sexuality of trans people within the contexts of psychiatric and psychological settings, including Gender Identity Clinics, as well as in the broader contexts of cultural and community settings. The implications of the research at hand are also explored with respect to counselling psychology and existentialist philosophy. Trans and Sexuality will appeal to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of gender and sexuality, counselling, sociology, psychotherapy, psychology and psychiatry. It will be of particular interest to those seeking an in-depth and up-to-date overview of ethics and methodologies with people from marginalised sexualities and genders."--Provided by publisher

Trans people are those people who are not content to remain in the gender assigned at birth. They are a group who are increasingly being researched, however the method and findings of such research are often used as a means or 'lens' to buttress a particular theoretical stance such as queer theory, psychoanalysis, or medical positivism. This discussion considers the ethics of continued research of this group which have been historically marginalised and are still often at the edges of the academy. In particular it examines the power implications of 'giving a voice' as the ethical centre of such research; alongside issues of the intelligibility of trans people being mediated by the academy, and the voice of the academic expert. It also briefly considers the inherent problems associated with reflexivity; whether through its absence or though the positioning of the reflexive researcher as inside or outside the group being researched. It then proceeds to outline some methodological means by which trans people may be engaged in research in a way in which the method, and not merely the outcome, is inherently ethical.

Gender diversity is now recognised as simply part of human diversity, rather than being pathological. This shift calls for a need for mental health professionals to adapt their practice when working with trans and non-binary people. Written by two clinicians with significant experience in this field, this book provides practical, everyday advice on what to do when seeing gender-diverse people in both inpatient and outpatient settings. It avoids focusing on academic theory or being overly political and, instead, offers straightforward, useful guidance on common issues clinicians may face, such as which ward to accommodate someone on or which name to use when. Topics include common drug interactions, differential diagnoses, complex case formulation, autistic spectrum conditions, the spectrum of sexualities, surgeries, legal and religious matters, forensic assessment, psychotherapy and mental health diagnoses. Fully relevant to contemporary practice, this is a much-needed guide for busy clinicians seeking immediate, practical and authoritative answers.

Human Sexuality and its Problems is an influential text in the arenas of sex research and psychosexual medicine. The current edition specifically aimed to incorporate the full range of perspectives on human sexuality. However, an analysis of the book found that sociological, social psychological, feminist and queer perspectives were still marginalised or lacking. In addition to this, the text was heteronormative in its construction of sexuality and sexual practice. An in-depth analysis of coverage of vaginismus and trans highlights problematic understandings of gender roles and their involvement in sexual difficulties, as well as little awareness of the diversity of gender identities and experiences.

"The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender gives a thorough overview of all of the normative - and many of the less common - sexualities, genders and relationship forms including: Asexuality; Bisexuality; BDSM; Gay; Heterosexuality; Kink; Lesbian; Further sexualities; Trans sexualities; Cisgender; Intersex; Further genders; Non-binary gender; Monogamies; and Open Non-Monogamies. The Handbook also considers psychological areas such as Clinical psychology; Counselling psychology; Qualitative research; Quantitative research; and Sex therapy as they relate to sexuality and gender as well as intersectional areas such as: Ageing; Ethnicity; Class; Disability; Health Psychology; and Religion. Contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in this area combine cutting edge research with considerations on both clinical practice and academic study of sexuality and gender for psychologists from student to professor; and from any discipline interested in these ubiquitous aspects of humanity. "--

Intro -- Acknowledgements -- Contents -- Editor Biographies -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- 1: Introduction -- Introduction -- Non-binary People: Who Are We Talking About? -- References -- Further Reading -- Part I: Societies -- 2: History and Cultural Diversity -- Introduction -- Global Gender Variation -- Gender Transgressions, Historical Lessons: Articulations of Gender Within European Contexts -- Mollies -- Femminielli -- Sworn Virgins -- Eunuchs -- Around the World in 80 Genders: Examples of Gender Diversity in Non-Western Civilisations -- Hijra -- Kathoey -- Waria and the Buginese People -- Two-Spirit People -- Machi -- Conclusion -- Summary -- Notes -- References -- Further Reading -- 3: Non-binary Activism -- Introduction -- Overview of Non-binary Activism So Far -- Meg-John Barker -- A New Movement? -- Areas of Focus -- UK Non-binary Activism So Far -- Where Do We Go from Here? -- Non-binary Language -- S. Bear Bergman -- Summary -- Note -- References -- Note: Unless otherwise stated, all online materials were accessed at the time of writing in 2017 -- Further Reading -- 4: Academic Theory -- Introduction -- Sexology and a History of Gender Theories -- Critiques of the 'Natural' and the Emergence of the 'Norm' -- Queer Theory -- The Emergence of Transgender Studies -- Recent Directions -- Summary -- Notes -- References -- Further Reading -- 5: Law -- Introduction -- Non-binary? -- Non-binary-Gendered Lives and the Legal Interface -- Name -- Change of Name in the UK -- Social Title and Pronouns -- Formal Sex and Gender Designation -- Public Toilet Access for Non-binary People -- Relationship Recognition -- Equality Act, 2010 -- Gender Recognition -- Gender Identity Protection in Scottish Law -- The Yogyakarta Principles -- Future Directions -- Conclusions -- Notes -- References -- Part II: Minds -- 6: Psychotherapy -- Introduction.

This book addresses the emerging field of genderqueer or non-binary genders - that is, individuals who do not identify as male or female. It considers theoretical, research, practice, and activist perspectives; and outlines a basis for good practice when working with non-binary individuals. The first section provides an overview of historical, legal and academic aspects of this phenomenon. The second section explores how psychotherapeutic, psychological and psychiatric theory and practice are adapting to a non-binary model of gender, and the third section considers the body related aspects, from endocrinology to surgery. This work will appeal to a wide readership, from practitioners working with non-binary individuals - including psychologists, surgeons, social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, psychotherapists and counselors, lawyers, and healthcare workers - to researchers interested in the study of gender identities, to students and gender activists.

This paper, made from an explicitly academic-practitioner stance, aims to highlight some of the problematic ways in which academic writing on trans people, and on the clinicians working in trans healthcare, has been presented in recent years. We argue that much work theorizes trans people and clinicians whilst failing to recognise the full and complex humanity of the people concerned. Also, such work frequently universalises a small number of accounts as if they were representative of 'the trans person' or 'the medical/psy profession' as a whole. We call upon future writers and researchers to pay more attention to the multiplicity and diversity of accounts, and to consider the potential damage of perpetuating certain accounts as fixed or universal.