Appearance Matters
Cisgender Prototypicality Influences Hiring Decisions About Trans Women But Not About Trans Men
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24215445 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sofia E Bracco (0000-0002-7138-1555, Department of Psychology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden), Sabine Sczesny (0000-0002-1666-1263, Institute of Psychology University of Bern Bern Switzerland), Marie Gustafsson Sendén (0000-0001-5398-2894, Department of Psychology Stockholm University Stockholm Sweden) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-30 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Gender Work and Organization (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0968-6673 • E-ISSN: 1468-0432 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/gwao.70268 |
| OpenAlex | W7214976708 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Transgender people experience discrimination in the workplace and in hiring processes. This experimental study tested the hireability of trans women and trans men with more or less cisgender prototypical appearance. Participants with recruitment experience ( N = 451) evaluated the CV summary of a trans woman or a trans man whose cisgender prototypical appearance was manipulated through a photograph. Overall, trans women were considered less hirable than trans men, whereas there were no direct effects of cisgender prototypicality. However, perceived attractiveness was significantly related to the hireability of trans women, but not of trans men: trans women who deviated from cisgender prototypical appearance were perceived as less attractive, which was in turn associated with lower hireability. Thus, some trans women may face double discrimination: a first one based on gender identity and a second one based on failing to meet cis‐normative standards of attractiveness. The implications of cisgender appearance norms for trans women in recruitment procedures are discussed.
appearance · cisnormativity · double discrimination · Employment discrimination · Gender identity · hiring discrimination · perceived attractiveness · recruitment · transgender men · Transgender people · Transgender women · Gender Diversity and Inequality · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research
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| Highly cited | No |
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