FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY: Forensic Anthropologists Might Not Be Accurately Determining The PRONOUNS Of Skeletons Found In Shallow Grave
08/27/2021
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Earlier: FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY: Forensic Anthropologists Might Not Be True Believers In Race Does Not Exist!

Another good one from Forensic Anthropology:

Centering Transgender Individuals in Forensic Anthropology and Expanding Binary Sex Estimation in Casework and Research

Published: Mar 19, 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5744/fa.2020.0030

Sean D. Tallman
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine; Department of Anthropology, Boston University

Caroline D. Kincer
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine

Eric D. Plemons
School of Anthropology, University of Arizona

Abstract
Due to disproportionate violence impacting the transgender community, forensic anthropologists may encounter the remains of trans individuals; however, it is unknown how often trans individuals are represented in casework and if practitioners have sufficient knowledge about trans bodies. After contextualizing forensically relevant demographics for the trans community, this study uses survey data of forensic anthropologists to critically explore the collective knowledge of and experience working with trans individuals; practitioners’ perceptions of sex and gender; and potential opportunities for trans-oriented research. The results indicate that 28.9% of respondents have worked with trans individuals in casework, but most forensic anthropologists were unfamiliar with forms and evidence of gender affirming procedures. Additionally, the survey indicates that forensic anthropologists struggle with the binary nature of forensic sex estimation, with 42.4% agreeing that sex is binary and 56.2% disagreeing. Similar opposition was found with reporting gender: 39.5% indicated that gender should be reported in casework and 31.0% disagreed. Moreover, current sex estimation methods are: rigidly binary; not reflective of human biological variation; and inadequate for trans individuals as they are based on assigned sex.

To dismantle rigidly binary sex categorization, we propose the adoption of a biocultural and queer theoretical approach to forensic sex estimation and in sexual dimorphism research that challenges heteronormative assumptions, questions typological two-sex categorization, and combats the presumptions that gender and sex are stable, independent entities that convey universal meaning. …

But beside all this dismantling, challenging, questioning, and combating, shouldn’t you also be interrogating?

[Comment at Unz.com]

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