Becoming: Discourses of trans emergence, epiphanies and oppositions

One of the key experiences for most trans people is epiphany; coming to understand oneself as transgender. By examining data from a small-scale, in-depth qualitative study in relation to this experience, this chapter presents a constructive description of the cultural obstacles that make epiphanies necessary. These appear to have changed in recent years as the public consciousness has become more aware of trans people’s lives. Cultural oppositions to trans people’s existence have, as a consequence, shifted from the tacit/implicit to the overt/explicit and potentially represent a signifier of trans emergence.