My name is Rhonda Factor/RJ and I am a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Vermont.  My doctoral dissertation is designed to illustrate the various ways we experience and express our gender identities.  While as a group, there are many differences among us; we also share the experience of not identifying fully with the sex/gender to which we were assigned at birth.  Our experiences are also similar to and different from individuals who do identify fully with the sex/gender to which they were assigned at birth.  This project is also designed to explore these similarities and differences by comparing your experiences with those of your “conventionally gendered” siblings.  The surveys administered to your siblings will simply be entitled “The Family Project” and will not focus on gender identity.  In fact, that survey only asks about sex in the conventional way.  Therefore, individuals will not be “outed” by sending a survey to their siblings.  It is my hope that this project will contribute to a culture that understands, supports, and celebrates the varieties of our gender experiences.

Trans research should be community-based because of our specific sensitivities, understanding, experience, and consciousness. – Leslie Feinberg

This project was designed in collaboration with trans communities and trans researchers.  Questions in areas of research important to trans people were developed through attendance at trans conferences, exploration of trans listservs, and consultation with trans individuals, mental health providers, and researchers.  Interviews were conducted and questions based on the responses were incorporated into the questionnaire.  Drafts of the questionnaire were shown to consultants and feedback was incorporated.

To participate:

Please email me the following information so I can mail the surveys to you and your sibling.  If you would rather have your sibling’s survey sent to you and then forward it yourself, let me know.  In that case, I’d send you both surveys and would only need your sibling's first name.

I. Your Name

   Your Address

   Your Email

   (Name your sibling knows you by if different from “your name” above)

II. Your Sibling’s Name (If more than one, the one most likely to respond.  If more than one likely to respond, the one closest in age.)

    Your Sibling’s Address

    Your Sibling’s Email

III. (If there is another sibling I can contact if the first one does not respond.)

      Other Sibling’s Name

      Other Sibling’s Address

      Other Sibling’s Email

Thanks again for helping to create a more trans-affirming culture.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any more questions.

Warmly,

Rhonda J. Factor/RJ

The Trans Project

Rhonda J. Factor

Psychology Department

University of Vermont

John Dewey Hall

2 Colchester Avenue

Burlington, VT  05405-0134