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The hypermarginalization of transgender people living with neurodisabilities

What is it like to live in a society that views gender as a binary system and penalizes those who stray from rigid, established norms? How is this compounded by the fact that deviations from gender norms have historically been and continue to be pathologized? What is the impact, then, when a person who is transgender is also living with a neurodisability such as depression or anxiety? This hypermarginalization can have devastating consequences and may contribute to the following harrowing statistic – 41% of transgender people attempt suicide at some point in their life compared to 1.6% of the general population. This webinar, facilitated by a neurodisabled and transgender educator, is for anyone who wants to learn more about the intersectionality of transness and neurodisabilities. Attendees do not need to be familiar with transgender issues or mental health conditions.

This 90-minute webinar will address the history of the pathologization of transgender people, connecting it to the roots of white supremacist ideologies (e.g., eugenics) and propose a reconstructed vision of a society in which everyone has body autonomy. The facilitator will challenge the paradigm of normal versus abnormal and argue that all human conditions, even those we consider "mental illnesses", are normal and should be celebrated as natural sources of diversity. This paradigm shift is necessary to lead to the destigmatization of neurodivergent conditions that are currently pathologized as mental illnesses. Finally, this webinar will explore the unique experiences of transgender people living with neurodisabilities such as anxiety and depression and the intersection of these two identities.

If you wish to request accommodations, please contact Laura Akgerman at akgerman.4@osu.edu. Typically, a two weeks' notice will allow us to provide seamless access.

Please direct any other questions about this program to the facilitator, Dr. Leo Taylor (taylor.3408@osu.edu).