Introduction

Here at Gender Issues, we are proud of the diverse perspectives and intellectual thought provoked by our authors. Few journals offer such a cornucopia of interdisciplinarity and cross-nationality! We work hard to ensure that each publication reflects a mix of locations, topics, methods, and epistemologies. Did you know that almost half of our submissions come from non-western countries? Gender Issues is becoming known as a premiere place to stay abreast of gender research and practice across the globe. We thank you for your readership and sincerely hope that you enjoy this and every issue.

We begin this issue exploring the reactions to the violation of gender normative appearance and behavior. Gendered appearance remains an important safety consideration for gender non-conforming peoples. In Public Discomfort with Gender Appearance-Inconsistent Bathroom Use: The Oppressive Bind of Bathroom Laws for Transgender Individuals, Plat and Milam find that transgender individuals continue to face significant obstacles for safe, public bathroom use and suggest the very real ways in which this offends social justice more broadly.

In Women in ties: Informal social networks among women in cross-border trading in Accra, Ghana, Wrigley-Asante documents the informal social networks that women create to address the challenges of cross-border trading. Recommendations from this work include recognizing and supporting the alliances that the women have created for themselves.

How can we use feminist epistemologies to better understand the resilience that we see in so many communities? In “There’s No Crying in Police Work” Exploring Police Shootings with Feminist Methods, Farrell et al. shows how law enforcement involved in fatal police shootings understand this event within their own emotional context. Farrell argues that feminist work provides voice and reflexivity to allow more nuanced understanding toward officer and community healing.

What about our friendships? How do they help protect us from the structural oppression associated with our marginalized identities? In Transgender Friendship Profiles: Patterns across Gender Identity and LGBT Affiliation, Boyer and Galupo find that gender identity can predict the gender identities of an individual’s friends. The meanings and implications of this are discussed.

We conclude the issue at the macro-level. In Financial inclusion through public works program: Does gender-based violence make a difference?, Ghosh and Guenther explore the impacts of gender-related violence on financial inclusion in India. As money becomes more available to women, Ghosh and Guenther document the evidence of backlash within the family and larger financial structures.

Yes, we have a diverse field indeed and one that will challenge you and keep your interest in the days ahead. Happy reading!

Ashley Simons-Rudolph

Joseph Simons-Rudolph

Editors in Chief, Gender Issues