Gender Functions: Why LGBTQ+ Gender Matters and How It Works

Centering voices from 25+ years of interview-based research, Gender Functions reveals enduring patterns that convey what gender entails and why LGBTQ+ genders matter. Throughout, people earnestly share how their gender identities are shaped and enacted, from across drag, butch, femme, bear, leather, transgender, nonbinary, and house/family communities. It illuminates how genders create new possibilities to be authentic in relationships, rather than viewing gender development as a project of adopting social norms. Chapters make evident the connections between gender norms, internal felt sense, gender identity, gender expression, and gendered sexuality-articulating the cyclical process through which genders continually evolve. The constructive functions of gender are showcased, making clear why gender serves people's needs and is vital across societies. Gender Functions takes readers on an interdisciplinary voyage through the evolution of LGBTQ+ genders, across diverse communities. This book considers pressing questions and politics. It pioneers a new pathway for developing transformative gender theory.