How Gender Identity and Transgender Status Affect Perceptions of Attractiveness

Abstract

Can a perceiver’s belief about a target’s transgender status (distinct from gender non- conforming appearance) affect perceptions of the target’s attractiveness? Cisgender, heterosexual men and women (N=319) received randomly assigned labels (cisgender cross-gender, transgender man, transgender woman, or non-binary) paired with 48 cross-sex targets represented by photos, and rated the attractiveness and related characteristics of those targets. The gender identity labels had a strong, pervasive effect on ratings of attraction. Non-binary and especially transgender targets were perceived as less attractive than cisgender targets. The effect was particularly strong for male perceivers, and for women with traditional gender attitudes. Sexual and romantic attraction are not driven solely by sexed appearance; information about gender identity and transgender status also influences these assessments. These results have important implications for theoretical models of sexual orientation and the dating lives of transgender people.