Making Transsexuality Impressive: Narrative Collage and the University of Minnesota Gender Clinic

Archival work in trans studies has a narrative problem. The desire to make trans stories positively politically-enabling erases the experience of trans people for whom the bad feelings of transition including depression, dysphoria, and suicidality cannot be overcome. This thesis takes up narrative collage as a method of trans archival engagement by telling stories about two University of Minnesota programs: the Transsexual Research Project and Program in Human Sexuality. These stories explore themes of gender, transsexuality, and disability as a return to the figure of the transsexual emergent from mid-20th century gender clinics. Instead of attempting to find the potentially inspiring parts of these stories, narrative collage stays with the bad feelings of transition in order to let the stories of trans people be as they are.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication Studies

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Kansas

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Cavanaugh, Ryan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Innocenti, Beth

• Gender Clinic
• Maladjustment
• Narrative Collage
• Transsexuality

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

https://www.proquest.com/LegacyDocView/DISSNUM/32703779

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:kuscholarworks.ku.edu:1808/39416