Secret Passage.

This article focuses on the personal narrative of a divorce lawyer who has lived much of her life navigating a complex gender identity that does not fit within the traditional binary of male or female. From childhood experiences of gender nonconformity and social rejection through adolescence and ad...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 1 - 23
Main Author: Burchill, Shea
Format: Article
Published: Michigan State University Press Spring2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=192257076&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 192257076
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        15223868
        IIX
      jtl: Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction
      issn: 15223868
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Spring2026
      vid: 28
      iid: 1
      pid: 2199
      pub: Michigan State University Press
    artinfo:
      ui: 192257076
      ppf: 1
      ppct: 22
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
              size: 224KB
      tig:
        atl: Secret Passage.
      aug:
        au: Burchill, Shea
      su:
        Gender identity
        Nonbinary people
        Divorce
        Transgender people
        Conflict (Psychology)
        Social acceptance
        First person narrative
        Family relations
      sug:
        subj:
          Gender identity
          Nonbinary people
          Divorce
          Transgender people
          Conflict (Psychology)
          Social acceptance
          First person narrative
          Family relations
      ab: This article focuses on the personal narrative of a divorce lawyer who has lived much of her life navigating a complex gender identity that does not fit within the traditional binary of male or female. From childhood experiences of gender nonconformity and social rejection through adolescence and adulthood, she describes the challenges of concealing her true self to maintain family stability and social acceptance. Despite a long marriage, children, and outward conformity, she reveals ongoing internal conflict, loneliness, and the gradual emergence of her authentic identity as nonbinary or trans, which she has shared only with her therapist. The narrative highlights the interplay of personal identity, family dynamics, societal expectations, and the political climate surrounding gender, emphasizing the emotional costs of living a concealed truth.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      custom: Copyright of Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction is the property of Michigan State University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
      item: Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction
      holder: Michigan State University Press
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2026
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N