Kirsty Rackliff
Thesis title: Caught between the binary : Exploring dominant representations of detransitioned people across digital platforms and publications
A contested term, ‘detransition’ refers to the process of undergoing a gender transition- often via hormone therapy (HRT) or gender reassignment surgery (GRS), -before reverting to the assigned sex at birth. Being a relatively new phenomenon, there is little relevant literature, with data regarding the exact incidence and nature of detransition remaining controversial. In recent years, digital discourse has played an excessive role in shaping increasingly polarised narratives surrounding detransition. Across both mainstream media outlets and informal social media platforms, detransitioners are used to evidence claims about gender identity, informed consent, and human rights. The impact of these discussions is not confined to the digital sphere: detransition has already shaped numerous controversial legislative decisions surrounding transgender healthcare, notably Bell v Tavistock in 2020, and the 2022 Florida Board of Medicine ruling against youth transition. Hence, research aims to to broaden the scope of detransition studies by exploring the role of digital spaces in constructing narratives of detransition.
Biography
Kirsty is currently undertaking her PhD in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham as part of the ‘+3’ ESRC Doctoral Training Programme. She holds a first-class BA degree in Sociology and an MA (results pending) in Social Science Research Methods (Sociology), both obtained from the University of Nottingham in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Sociology
University of Nottingham
2023 Cohort. +3
Supervisory Team
Dr Lee Gregory
Dr Shardia Briscoe-Palmer
Dr Elisabetta Zontini