Multiply Marginalized: Effects of Race and Gender (Non-) Conformity on Attributions of Gender Identity and Transgender Status

As individuals are increasingly embodying multiple diverse identities, it is paramount to investigate how the intersections of these identities affect their perception. The present study investigates how race, gender-conformity, and sex assigned at birth (SAAB) affect perceptions of an ambiguous target's gender, as well as subjective opinions held towards the target. In each of two studies, college student and non-college student adult participants (N = 251; N = 288 respectively) viewed one of eight vignettes describing an individual of varying combinations of the variables of interest. They then filled out several perceived identity measures and scales measuring their attitudes towards transgender people of color, including opportunities to freely elaborate on their justifications for answers given. No significant effects for target race were found, but there were many significant interactions between target SAAB and gender expression. Targets whose SAAB and gender expression were incongruent were perceived as less normal, more likely to be transgender and gay, and were assigned to a wider variety of gender categories than those whose SAAB and expression were congruent. Relationships were moderated by gender essentialism and right-wing authoritarianism. Justifications for these perceptions yielded rich qualitative data, offering insights into the differing reasons behind why perceivers make judgements of and categorize ambiguously gendered targets in the ways that they do. Results are discussed in terms of implications of gender non-conformity for social perception research, policy and intervention development, and everyday lives of trans and gender non-conforming individuals.