“If they look at me and land at he/him, it's the consolation prize”: Transmasculine nonbinary individuals’ conceptualization of passing

The present study sought to understand how transmasculine nonbinary individuals conceptualize and understand passing for themselves and for other transmasculine nonbinary individuals. Much of the literature on this topic focuses on binary identified trans women or men, while the ways that nonbinary individuals conceptualize passing remains largely unexplored. Utilizing a critical-constructivist grounded theory framework, 20 transmasculine nonbinary individuals participated in semi-structured interviews that centered on how this population understood passing for themselves and for other transmasculine nonbinary people. Using minority stress and intersectional theories as frameworks, the following core category was identified: for transmasculine nonbinary individuals, passing includes a cognitive understanding of the definition of passing, with the behavioral aspects filtered through a negotiation of the individuals’ own internal experiences of gender as well as the external social forces they encounter. That is, external forces (e.g., cissexism and racism) impact how a person experiences gender and can dictate the choices they make around their gender expression and presentation. The four clusters that combine to create this core category were (a) working definitions and cognitive understandings of passing, (b) internal negotiations surrounding passing, (c) passing as a binary gender can lead to stress reduction, and (d) external perceptions dictate how an individual passes. Findings add to the emerging body of literature regarding passing for nonbinary individuals, and note the value of authenticity in a dichotomously gendered world. Recommendations for scientists, practitioners, and advocates are discussed, with a focus on the need to understand the unique and holistic experiences of this population.