White/European Americans and Transgender Identity

Identity development for transgender individuals of European descent, commonly referred to as “White,” has received increased visibility in the psychological literature since the early 1980s. When understanding identity development for this specific racial group, language is critically important. The term transgender is an umbrella term used to describe various groups of people, including but not limited to trans men, trans women, two-spirited people, genderqueer individuals (who sometimes will identify within the transgender umbrella and other times may not), and others who do not feel that their assigned sex represents their gender. This entry examines how Whiteness intersects with transgender identity development, some notable research biases in psychological literature, and current and future directions for research.