Resistance or Surveillance: The Complexities of Being Counted in Trans Research “Right Now”

In a society bent on eradicating transness entirely, being counted can be a double-edged sword. In this article, I use my current study—which uses a participatory approach to develop a quantitative measure of trans-specific dissociation—to consider the complex ethical questions involved in conducting quantitative trans research in the context of the Trump administration's attacks on trans people. I address the opposing perspectives of quantitative methods as surveillance versus resistance, discussing how these methods may be used by a hostile state to further surveil and control trans lives, but may also be leveraged to counter the erasure that functions as a primary mechanism of trans oppression. I conclude that counting trans lives can be one way that we resist our eradication, but only if we use these methods critically, actively counter pathologizing and normalizing narratives, and place data in the hands of trans communities outside of state and psy/medical institutions.