Abstract
This study explores how transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) public relations practitioners navigate and articulate their professional roles and personal identities within diverse organizational contexts. Using in-depth life story interviews with 28 TGD professionals, the research examines how intersectionality, advocacy, and identity shape strategic communication practices. Findings reveal that TGD practitioners challenge traditional boundaries between the personal and professional, using lived experience as a source of expertise and ethical insight. Their narratives highlight how systemic marginalization, resilience, and identity negotiation inform communication strategies, organizational ethics, and public representation. In a sociopolitical climate marked by anti-TGD legislation and rhetoric, this research offers timely insights into the emotional labor, agency, and transformative impact of TGD professionals in the field. By centering marginalized voices, the study contributes to an evolving understanding of professionalism in public relations and calls for a more inclusive, justice-oriented epistemology that positions identity as foundational to effective communication practice.
