Bridget Stirling, MA in Intercultural and International Communication
J. Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Social narratives about trans-gender women and sexual violence vary. Some see trans-gender women as perpetrators of sexual violence, while trans bodies are frequently rendered unsafe, deviant, or criminalized by the state. Others believe that sexual assault or abuse causes survivors to identify as trans, or that sexual violence, like other anti-trans violence, is always the result of transphobia (fear or hatred of trans people).
Stirling, working from a trans feminist ally stance as a cisgender woman and under the academic supervision of Dr. matthew heinz, compares the experiences of trans women who are sexual violence survivors with support workers' narratives of trans women and sexual violence, helping agencies develop trans-positive services by identifying where conflicting narratives create barriers.
Graduate Study Research Awards
