(PS1-C54) Understanding Gender Expression Labels Among Sexual and Gender Minorities Assigned Female at Birth

Gender expression is an integral aspect of an individual’s identity. Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) utilize gender expression labels to structure ways of conceptualizing “gender, sense of selves, and ways of relating and so are meaningful subjects of research” (Levitt et al., 2012). Previous research conducted with cisgender sexual minority women (SMW) found that femme, butch, and androgynous participants align with one might expect of these identities, but stereotypical notions of gender expression can be inconclusive (Gunn et al., 2021). However, most research has excluded transgender and non-binary individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB). It is important to continue to investigate how young SGM-AFAB view themselves as related to their gender expression. The present study explored differences on masculinity and femininity among gender expression labels that are inclusive to the SGM-AFAB community.

Data were drawn from FAB400, a longitudinal cohort study of SGM-AFAB adolescents and young adults (N= 449). Participants were prompted with “Do you consider yourself to be…” and selected all that applied from the following options: Butch, Stone butch, Stud, Femme, High Femme, Androgynous, Genderqueer, Gender fluid, Agender, Transman, Male, Female, one of these, and not listed. Responses were collapsed into six categories: Transgender men (Transman, Male) (N = 53), Masculine Expression (Butch, Stone butch, Stud) (N = 37), Feminine Expression (Femme, High Femme) (N = 126), Female (Females) (N = 126), Androgynous Expression (Androgynous) (N = 49), Non-binary expression (Genderqueer, Gender fluid, Agender) (N = 30), Participants completed the Masculinity and Femininity subscales Sexual Role Identity Scale to assess their self-concept of their own masculinity and femininity (Storms, 1979).

One-way ANOVA revealed effect of gender expression on masculinity, F(5, 443) = 50.05, p < . 001, and femininity, F(5, 443) = 40.34, p < . 001. Post-hoc comparisons for masculinity indicated no differences between transgender men (M = 4.82, SD = .13) and masculine expression (M = 4.85, SD = .22); between androgynous expression (M = 3.98, SD = .14) and non-binary expression (M = 3.70, SD = .19); or between femme (M = 2.66, SD = .10) and female expression (M = 2.81, SD = .10). Tests for femininity yielded similar results among feminine expression and female expression; however, there were no significant differences between transgender men (M = 3.07, SD = .17), masculine expression (M = 2.78, SD = .22); or between androgynous expression (M = 3.49, SD = .17) and non-binary expression (M = 3.84, SD = .22). There was a significant difference between masculine expression and non-binary expression, p = .009.

            Consistent with previous research, gender expression labels capture differences in masculinity versus femininity among SGM. However, our findings suggest that the differences are more about masculinity than about femininity. Further, considering the similarities between transgender men and masculine gender expression, clinicians and researchers should note that gender expression is a complex internal experience in which individual. Future research should investigate how gender identity and sexual orientation relate to gender expression.