Centering the margins: Reimagining resilience and resistance for transgender and nonbinary people of color

Abstract

By centering the margins through intersectional and cross-cultural perspectives, this article offers a reimagining of resilience by exploring individual versus collective (i.e., group-level) approaches and strategies adopted by transgender and nonbinary people of color (TPOC) to resist oppression. We address the dynamics of multiple group membership and recognize the profound effects of culture on how TPOC communities navigate resilience and resistance. Utilizing an international perspective, we examine risk and resilience by considering proximal and distal minority stressors such as discrimination and internalized stigma. We also address the utility of current models used to address TPOC resilience (i.e., minority stress and resilience theory, transgender resilience intervention model). Finally, we address tensions associated with the characterization of resilience and resistance for TPOC within the social sciences and across cultures. This article thus serves as a critical foundation for reimagining research with TPOC by presenting potential avenues for further research, theory, and community action globally.