Breaking the Mold: Masculinities and Family Dynamics in Detransition, Baby

Abstract

There is a frequent impression that critical studies on men and masculinities focus exclusively on heterosexual, cisgender masculinities, which promote ideals of masculinity and exclude the masculinities of a range of men who do not comply with gender norms. Genderqueer men and masculinities have drawn scrutiny, and several works have addressed masculinities that diverge from the prevailing one. However, trans masculinities have largely been ignored. Even while research and theorization indicate a growing interest in subaltern masculinities relative to the hegemonic masculinities, trans men have generally not been seen as particularly relevant in the field of critical studies of men and masculinities. In this regard, Torrey Peter’s 2021 novel, Detransition, Baby, provides an excellent basis for comprehending how trans-masculinities fit into society and for analysing critical studies on men and masculinities from a transgender viewpoint. This research aims to contribute to the growing interest on transgender literature and gender studies by examining the representation of trans masculinities and non-traditional family relations in Detransition, Baby. It highlights the value of the work in depicting the complexity of gender identity, familial relationships, and cultural conventions, ultimately developing a broader knowledge of trans experiences and alternate family structures in modern literature.

Keywords

• masculinities
• gender identities
• Torrey Peters
• masculinity studies
• family dynamics

References

1. Aboim, Sofia. “Trans-masculinities, Embodiments and the Materiality of Gender: Bridging the Gap.” NORMA, vol. 11, no. 4, Informa UK Limited, Oct. 2016, pp. 225–36. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2016.1259848.
2. Connell, R. W. Masculinities. 2005. Bowker, https://doi.org/10.1604/9780520246980.
3. Davis, Andrew, "Trans Joy: Celebrating Diverse Transgender Narratives" (2022). Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/2497
4. Gottzén, Lucas, and Wibke Straube. “Trans Masculinities.” NORMA, vol. 11, no. 4, Informa UK Limited, Oct. 2016, pp. 217–24. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2016.1262056.
5. Halberstam, Judith. Female Masculinity. Duke UP, 1988. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822378112.
6. Heston, Laura V., "QUEERING KINSHIP: LGBTQ PARENTS AND THE CREATION OF REAL UTOPIAS" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 1655. https://doi.org/10.7275/14228043 https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1655
7. Jourian, T. J. “Trans*Forming College Masculinities: Carving Out Trans*Masculine Pathways Through the Threshold of Dominance.” International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, vol. 30, no. 3, Informa UK Limited, Jan. 2017, pp. 245–65. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2016.1257752.
8. Kray, Laura J., et al. “The Effects of Implicit Gender Role Theories on Gender System Justification: Fixed Beliefs Strengthen Masculinity to Preserve the Status Quo.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 112, no. 1, American Psychological Association (APA), 2017, pp. 98–115. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000124.

9. McIntosh, Mary, and Judith Butler. “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity.” Feminist Review, no. 38, JSTOR, 1991, p. 113. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.2307/1395391.
10. Peters, Torrey. Detransition, Baby: A Novel. One World, 2020.
11. Roulston, Chris. “Queer Parenting and the Challenge to Queer Theory.” Studies in Canadian Literature, vol. 46, no. 1, Consortium Erudit, Feb. 2022, pp. 117–44. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.7202/1086613ar.
12. Rowland, R. A. “The Normativity of Gender.” Noûs, Wiley, Mar. 2023. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1111/nous.12453.
13. Slothouber, Vanessa, "Narratives of De/Retransition: Disrupting the Boundaries of Gender and Time" (2021). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 8070. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/8070
14. Turban, Jack L., et al. “Factors Leading to ‘Detransition’ Among Transgender and Gender Diverse People in the United States: A Mixed-Methods Analysis.” LGBT Health, vol. 8, no. 4, Mary Ann Liebert Inc, June 2021, pp. 273–80. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1089/lgbt.2020.0437.