Making Space: Supporting transgender and gender diverse young people coming out in the changing context of Aotearoa, New Zealand’
(M.A. Research Project)
Thankyou for your interest in this project which is being undertaken as a MA research thesis in Sociology at the University of Canterbury. Most importantly this project is about ‘Making Space’ as the title suggests, to focus attention on the experiences and wellbeing of transgender and gender diverse young people directly, and those involved in supporting them, or informing and developing this support here in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is about getting out into our communities and talking about what it can be like to be young and transgendered or gender diverse in New Zealand today, and what that means for those involved in providing and developing support. This research comes at an important time, with the recent release of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission’s Transgender Inquiry Report ‘To Be Who I Am’, and a growing global awareness and activism shaping transgender and gender diverse peoples lives. This project is motivated by my own experiences of being involved in developing and providing community support to queer, transgender and gender diverse young people in Canterbury over the last 10 years, networking with others in this field nationally and globally, and academically exploring queer and trans subjectivities, lives and politics throughout my time at university. The following information provides further details specifically about the project and participation in it. If you have any oth er questions or queries feel free to contact me.
What is the purpose of the project?
The purpose of the project is to explore the supports currently available and provided to transgender and gender diverse young people (30 years and under) around Aotearoa New Zealand;
To explore how these supports relate and are relevant to the range of identities and expressions of transgender and gender diversity;
To explore how the Human Rights Commission’s Transgender Inquiry, and other developments occurring locally are shaping the current New Zealand context for transgender and gender diverse young people throughout their processes of coming out;
To explore how this support, and the current changes informing it, can be located within a global context of change;
To explore what supports young people are using and their experiences of them. What will be gained from the project?
The project aims to provide an overview of community and peer support for transgender and gender diverse young people currently available in New Zealand;
To locate this support in a changing social, political and historical context in order to provide greater awareness of how things are developing;
To develop a greater understanding of the support needs of transgender and gender diverse young people in Aotearoa, their use of supports, and how different gendered subjectivities and embodiments relate to different supports and support needs.
Ultimately this information will be able to be used to inform support providers, develop more effective support systems, and help educate around gender diversity to provide safer and more supportive environments for young transgender and gender diverse people.
Who can participate?
Participants in this project include:
Transgender and gender diverse young people (aged 16-30years) living in New Zealand, inclusive of a range of gender identities and expressions, including those who do not wish to identify. These participants will need to be willing to talk about how their gender, or experience of gender is/ or has undergone a period of change (their coming out process), and their use of supports through this time.
Those involved in the direct support of transgender and gender diverse young people. This may include (but is not limited to): transgender and queer youth organisations and groups (both formal and informal), individuals (providing peer support), online list moderators, and newsletter and other information producers.
Those involved in the development of support for transgender and gender diverse young people. This may include (but is not limited to) individuals, groups and organisations working to inform or advocate for changes to policy and law effecting transgender and gender diverse young people; those involved in developing support programmes, ini tiatives and education in that is directed at or inclusive of transgender and gender diverse young people.
What is involved in being a participant?
As a participant you will be involved in telling your story in relation to the research area.
For transgender and gender diverse young people, this will involve meeting with the researcher to do an audio-taped in- depth interview (which will take one to two hours). This will focus on your experiences of being gender diverse or transgendered throughout your process of coming out, and how this relates to your use and experiences of support throughout this time. A second follow-up interview may also be necessary to fully develop the narrative.
For those involved in directly supporting transgender and gender diverse young people, participation will involve being interviewed by the researcher, either in person, by phone, or by email (depending on your location, preference and feasibility). The amount of time this will take is flexible, acknowledging that largely this support is provided on a voluntary basis and people have other commitments. Any information you can provide will be a valuable contribution to this project. These interviews will focus on your experiences of providing or informing support for transgender and gender diverse young people in New Zealand. You will not be asked about specific individuals, and will be asked to ensure that you do not disclose information about any individual known to you which could conceivably permit their identity to be determined.
For all participants in this project: Interviews will be audio-taped, and once completed you will be given a transcript (written version) of the interview that you will need to read and make changes to where relevant. This is so that you have the opportunity to check that what is written is correct and represents you accurately, and that you are happy for the information you have supplied to be used in this research project. As a participant you will need to be contacted for this purpose. After this is complete you will have the option to receive a copy of the information you have provided for your own use, and will be asked whether you want to be kept updated on the research progress. Other than this final version of the interview (that has been checked and edited) all other versions of your interview (including audio tapes) will be returned to you on completion or destroyed.
What are my rights as a participant?
As a participant you will treated in a respectful and culturally safe manner and your confidentiality will be maintained at all times.
You will be consulted as to whether you want your real name/pseudonym used, and to the inclusion/exclusion/disguising of any other identifying information.
Your participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw form the research at any time.
Any future use of your final edited interview transcription (or any part of it), beyond this project and the subsequent publication of results, will require your informed consent specifically for that purpose.
Potential participants should be aware that this research is of a personal nature (relating to personal experiences of being transgendered or gender diverse or supporting those who are) and that it may involve talking about life experiences that could be painful, difficult or unresolved which may be upsetting for some people. It will be possible to stop interviews at any time, and participants will receive a list of current community support serves that are relevant to th e research area, which may offer additional support.
This research is being undertaken for the completion of a M.A. thesis in Sociology at the University of Canterbury, by Evan Matthews under the supervision of Dr Ruth McManus (Department of Sociology and Anthropology) and Dr Kathleen Quinlivan (Department of Education) at the University of Canterbury.
This project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Canterbury Human Ethics Committee.
If you agree to participate in this project I hope it will be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Feel free to contact me, or either of my supervisors if you have any questions.
Yours Sincerely,
Evan Matthews Dr Ruth McManus Dr Kathleen Quinlivan Principal Researcher Senior Research Supervisor Co-supervisor Ph/Txt: xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Email: xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx C/O Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Canterbury, P.O. Box 4800, Christchurch.
Consent form
Interview sheets
CONSENT FORM
‘Making Space: Supporting transgender and gender diverse young people coming out in the changing context of Aotearoa New Zealand’
(M.A. Research Project)
I have had the opportunity to read the information sheet regarding the above named research project. I have also had the opportunity to discuss what will be involved in participating in this project.
I agree to participate in this project understanding that:
1. I will be consulted as to the inclusion/exclusion/disguising of my real name/pseudonym and any other identifying information (and that of my group/organisation if applicable);
2. I will have the opportunity to read and change the information I provide to the researcher before it is used in any part; 3. The research is confidential and the researcher will not communicate any specific details about me (or my group/
organisation if applicable) to anyone other than those supervising this research other than the information I have agreed to provide having had the opportunity to read and make changes to it, or unless agreed to by me;
4. My participation is voluntary and I may withdraw from the project at any time. In this case all information I have provided in existence will be returned to me or destroyed;
5. I will have the option to receive at the completion of the project a copy of the information I have provided which I may retain for my personal use;
6. The data produced as a result of discussion and interview between the researcher and myself will be kept confidential and in a secure environment for the duration of the project;
7. Audio tapes from the interviews will be returned to me or destroyed at the completion of the project, along with any original transcripts;
8. Information included in the final edited interview transcript may be used by this researcher for the completion of the above named M.A. research project, and the subsequent publication of the findings of the research. This information may also be used to develop further research, analysis and education in this area, but any further use of my particular information beyond this project and the subsequent publication of its findings will require my informed consent; 9. Any questions or queries I have concerning this project will be answered by the researcher or those supervising it. 10. (Applicable only to support providers) I will not disclose information about any individual known to me which could
conceivably permit their identity to be determined.
Signed: ………(name of participant) ………(signature of participant) Date: ……….. ………(signature of researcher) Contact details: Email address: ………. Phone number: ……… Street address: ..……… ……….. ………..