This electronic version on http://ansaraonline.com is an article published in: Ansara, Y. G., & Hegarty, P. (2011). Cisgenderism in Psychology: Pathologizing and misgendering children from 1999 to 2008. Psychology & Sexuality, iFirst, 1-24.doi: 10.1080/19419899.2011.576696. Psychology & Sexuality is available online at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rpse This article is available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19419899.2011.576696 **Please contact Taylor & Francis for third party public posting permission.** Cisgenderism in psychology: pathologising and misgendering children from 1999 to 2008 Y. Gavriel Ansara and Peter Hegarty Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK Author correspondence email: gavriel.ansara@gmail.com Abstract: We assessed whether recent psychological literature on children reflects or contrasts with the zeitgeist of American Psychological Association’s recent non-discrimination statement on ‘transgender’ and ‘gender variant’ individuals. Article records (N = 94) on childhood ‘gender identity’ and ‘expression’ published between 1999 and 2008 inclusive were evaluated for two kinds of cisgenderism, the ideology that invali- dates or pathologises self-designated genders that contrast with external designations. Misgendering language contradicts children’s own gender assignations and was less frequent than pathologising language which constructs children’s own gender assigna- tions and expression as disordered. Articles on children’s gender identity/expression are increasingly impactful within psychology. Cisgenderism is neither increasing nor decreasing overall. Mental health professionals are more cisgenderist than other authors. Articles by members of an ‘invisible college’ structured around the most pro- lific author in this area are more cisgenderist and impactful than other articles. We suggest how authors and editors can implement American Psychological Association policy and change scientific discourse about children’s genders. Keywords: cisgenderism; content analysis; ‘gender identity disorder’; misgendering; pathologising; transgender; transsexual 1. Introduction In August 2008, the American Psychological Association (APA) Council of Representatives adopted the Resolution on Transgender, Gender Identity and Gender Expression Non-Discrimination, acknowledging that ‘transgender and gender variant peo- ple frequently experience prejudice and discrimination and psychologists can, through their professional actions, address these problems at both an individual and a societal level’ (American Psychological Association [APA], 2008, para 1). In this document, APA’s Council of Representatives recognised that ‘psychological research has the poten- tial to inform treatment, service provision, civil rights and approaches to promoting the well-being of transgender and gender variant people’ (APA, 2008, para 12) and that ‘psychologists are in a position to influence policies and practices in institutional settings’ (APA, 2008, para 11). The APA defined the ‘professional role’ of psychologists as one that requires ‘the provision of appropriate, nondiscriminatory treatment to transgender and