Open Collections

Reimer, Katie-Anne

University of British Columbia

Graphic novels are a tool to track and resist the silencing of transgender youth. I first provide a literature review including a brief framing of trans youth identity, an analysis of the violence targeting transgender youth in the United States and Canada, a theoretical framing for epistemic violence (including a general framework on hermeneutical injustice, testimonial quieting and testimonial smothering) with a specific focus on the epistemic violence targeting transgender people. Second, I analyze why graphic novels are uniquely positioned for studying epistemic violence facing trans youth. Third, I contend that while trans youth currently face massive amounts of visible and direct forms of violence (legal attacks on rights, high rates of physical assault, etc.), studying the epistemic violence is imperative as the silencing of trans youth's voices leads to these other forms of violence and is deeply harmful in and of itself. I use graphic novels as an analytical tool to track this epistemic violence and the impacts of this injustice. Finally, I consider the emancipatory potential in graphic novels as unique vehicles through which trans youth's voices can be heard and honoured. My central argument is that graphic novels provide a unique visual medium through which trans folks can both communicate the reality of epistemic violence facing trans youth and combat it by providing a different set of language resources, encouraging audience engagement and giving trans youth their voices.

Text

2024-08-09

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/88915

Political Science

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/