Transgender Voice and Personal Identity

I would like to acknowledge my faculty research mentor, Clarion Mendes, for inspiring me to work with the transgender population. Without the support and encouragement from Clarion, I would not have embarked on this research project. I would also like to acknowledge my classmate and research partner, Nimra Burney, for her support throughout this research project. Lastly, I would like to thank my good friend, Haley Walker, for helping me design this image.This image is an illustration of a crucial body part that we use every day to communicate: the larynx. The colors of this particular larynx are light pink and light blue, which are the same colors as the transgender flag. Also referred to as the "voice box," the larynx sotres the vocal folds. Vocal folds are responsible for producing sound and allow us to change the pitch and volume of our voices. While many likely do not consciously think about their voices on a regular basis, individuals in the transgender community often feel their given voices do not match their identities. Many transgender individuals seek speech therapy in order to learn how to alter their pitch and volume to align more closely with their preferred gender and identity. My research included exploring the relationship between voice and identity in the transgender community. Alongside my research team, I conducted a literature review in order to better understand factors that contribute to the underpinnings of vocal identity as well as the barriers that make it challenging to develop a vocal identity.Ope