Transgender studies, broadly defined, has become increasingly prominent as a field of study over the past several decades, particularly in the last ten years. The experiences and rights of trans people have also increasingly become the subject of news coverage, such as the ability of trans people to access restrooms, their participation in the military, the issuing of driver's licenses that allow a third gender option, the growing visibility of nonbinary trans teens, the denial of gender-affirming health care to trans youth, and the media's misgendering of trans actors.
With more and more trans people being open about their gender identities, doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, counselors, educators, higher education administrators, student affairs personnel, and others are increasingly working with trans individuals who are out. But many professionals have little formal training or awareness of the life experiences and needs of the trans population. This can seriously interfere with open communications between trans people and service providers and can negatively impact trans people's health outcomes and well-being, as well as interfere with their educational and career success and advancement. Having an authoritative, academic resource like The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies can go a long way toward correcting misconceptions and providing information that is otherwise not readily available.
This encyclopedia, featuring more than 300 well-researched articles, takes an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to trans studies. Entries address a wide range of topics, from broad concepts (e.g., the criminal justice system, activism, mental health), to specific subjects (e.g., the trans pride flag, the Informed Consent Model, voice therapy), to key historical figures, events, and organizations (e.g., Lili Elbe, the Stonewall Riots, Black Lives Matter). Entries focus on diverse lives, identities, and contexts, including the experiences of trans people in different racial, religious, and sexual communities in the United States and the variety of ways that gender is expressed in other countries. Among the fields of studies covered are psychology, sociology, history, family studies, K-12 and higher education, law/political science, medicine, economics, literature, popular culture, the media, and sports.
Abbie E. Goldberg is Professor of Psychology and Director of Women's and Gender Studies at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UMass Amherst. A central theme of her research is the decentering of any "normal" or "typical" family, sexuality, or gender, to allow room for diverse families, sexualities, and genders. For 15 years, Dr. Goldberg has been conducting a longitudinal study of adoptive families headed by female, male, and heterosexual couples. Dr. Goldberg also conducts research on the higher educational experiences of trans and gender nonconforming individuals. She recently completed a longitudinal study of postpartum well-being in women with diverse sexual histories. She is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and two books: Gay Dads (NYU Press, 2012) and Lesbian- and Gay Parent Families (APA, 2010). Her forthcoming book is Open Adoption in Diverse Families (Oxford, 2020). She is the co-editor (with Katherine Allen) of LGBT-Parent Families: Innovations in Research & Implications for Practice (Springer, 2013), with a 2nd edition currently underway, and the editor of The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies (SAGE, 2016). She is also the coeditor (with Adam Romero) of LGBTQ Divorce and Relationship Dissolution (Oxford, 2019). Her books have received numerous awards. She has received research funding from the American Psychological Association, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Williams Institute, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the National Institutes of Health, and the Spencer Foundation.
Genny Beemyn is the director of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst's Stonewall Center, the coordinator of Campus Pride's Trans Policy Clearinghouse, and the co-chair of International Pronouns Day. Genny has published and spoken extensively on the experiences and needs of trans college students, including writing some of the first articles on the topic. They have written or edited eleven books/journal issues, including A Queer Capital: A History of Gay Life in Washington, D.C. (Routledge, 2014) and The Lives of Transgender People (Columbia University Press, 2011) with Sue Rankin. Genny's most recent book is an anthology, Trans People in Higher Education (SUNY Press, 2019). They are currently writing Campus Queer: Addressing the Needs of LGBTQ+ College Students with Mickey Eliason for Johns Hopkins University Press. Genny is also an editorial board member and trans article reviewer for the Journal of LGBT Youth, the Journal of Bisexuality, and the Journal of Homosexuality. They have a Ph.D. in African American Studies and Master's degrees in African American Studies, American Studies, and Higher Education Administration.
