Three speakers discussed their work. Susie Bower-Brown (UCL) spoke about her work with trans and non-binary parents and stressed the importance of understanding the diversity of experience within that community – there is never ‘one size fits all’. Paschal Gumadwong Begonza (DMU) shared his PhD research with trans and non-binary migrants, a group particularly hard to reach. He overcame challenges in his project by taking as much time as possible to become part of the community and to develop a trusting, collaborative relationship. Linda Wesp (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) joined us remotely to talk about groundbreaking efforts to theorise intersectionality as a tool to overcome systemic prejudice in the healthcare system. We learned from one another about important research being undertaken in the UK and US with intersectional practices at their core and, during the discussion part of the morning, brainstormed some of the challenges that must be overcome to do meaningful work in this area.
One of the outputs of the network is a series of follow-on funding bids in order to upskill members of the local trans and non-binary community to undertake oral history interviews with their peers with a view to creating a digital archive of stories and experiences. January’s event has provided the research team with important lessons to bear in mind when proceeding to that part of the project.