Let's Talk About: Trans Folks
- Erin Zeddies
- Jun 14, 2017
- 6 min read
When talking about any marginalized group it is important to not give into the temptation to talk about them as if they are monolithic. There are as many different ways of being a “trans” person as there are Trans people. Some trans people have a deep feeling of body dysmorphia, the feeling or understanding that they were born with the wrong sex’s body and wish desperately to change their bodies. Some don’t and wish desperately for acceptance of the body they have. Some trans people identify with one gender very strongly, some don’t.
So what does “Trans” even mean?
I’m going to give a cop-out answer and share a definition I got from the dictionary, because I think it’s very beautiful: “A prefix … used with the meanings “across,” “beyond,” “through,” “changing thoroughly,” “transverse,” in combination with elements of any origin” I love the idea of Transgender or transexual meaning beyond gender or sex.
Generally, the term Trans refers to anyone who isn’t Cisgendered. A reminder from previous articles, Cisgender means that you identify with the same gender and sex you were assigned at birth. So people who transition from one sex to another are trans. People who identify with a gender that is not the one traditionally associated with their genitalia, but who are perfectly happy with their bodies, are trans.. People who are non-binary are trans. People who are genderfluid fall under the trans umbrella. There are infinite possibilities for being a trans person.
Given the fickle nature of gender rules, (See May 31st’s article) and the deep importance that genders hold to each person individually, it seems strange to me that anyone would try to argue or fight about another person’s gender. There is a deep seated need that some people have to keep some spaces exclusive based on gender. As if there is some treasure associated with gender, of which they are the sole gatekeepers and protectors. This is, of course, a wrong way of viewing the world. No one has the right to tell another person who they are. And on top of that, neither gender nor biological sex exist as a binary. Both are much more complicated than that.
We are living in an era of incredible Trans visibility. In movies and TV shows, online, at Pride movements, there is more representation than ever before, though there needs to be even more. Many more people know about Transgender people than ever before. Unfortunately, gatekeeping, fear, and ignorance have lead to an explosion of Trans- related hate as well.
So called “Bathroom bills” are a direct reaction so misplaced fear about Trans men and women. You have probably already used a public restroom with a Trans person and you probably didn’t even know it. Unfortunately, now people feel that they have a right to infringe on other people’s privacy in public spaces. The reason they give? Fear that a man will pose as a Trans woman to assault women. Do you know how many sexual assaults of women have happened because of trans women using the ladies restroom? 0. If lawmakers were really interested in protecting women from sexual assault they would do something about the rampant rape culture on College campuses or the backlog of rape kits around the country. But of course, these bathroom bills have nothing to do with actually protecting women and everything to do with intimidation. They are meant to intimidate Trans and gender-nonconforming folks. They are meant to reinforce the sense of otherness and unbelonging that these people feel, they are meant to punish them for daring to step out of line with our binary society’s ideas of gender.
I wish where to pee in public was the largest problem facing the Transgender community. I don’t want to diminish these insulting and demeaning pieces of legislation, they are morally abhorrent and a waste of valuable resources. However, there are bigger challenges. Discrimination in housing and employment is a big one. Many states do not include “gender expression” in their list of protected classes, so that if a prospective boss or landlord wants to deny housing or employment for a person for no reason other than the fact that they are outside the standard binary, they can. And there are no legal repercussions. But these cases are hard to prove and there’s little reliable data collected. However there are some things we know, according to a 2015 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality (linked in the Washington Post article at the end of this article) and a 2016 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, written about in the NPR article also linked at the bottom of this article:
There are around 1.4 million Transgender adults in the United States. That’s about 0.3%, or about the same as the population of Phoenix Arizona.
Transgender people are more likely to attempt suicide. Of those surveyed 41% had attempted suicide at one point, compared to about 1.6% in the general population.
Healthcare can be even more problematic for Trans people than the rest of the population. 19% of those surveyed said that they had been flatly refused care due to their gender status and 50% said that they had to teach their medical professionals about transgender health care. I want that to sink in a moment, for those of us who are not Trans. I’m a cis woman. I could not imagine going to a doctor who had no idea how to treat a woman.
Transgender people are unemployed at twice the rate of the general population. 25% of those interviewed reported actually being fired for not fitting into gender norms.
Although it can vary greatly by gender, race, and location the risk of being murdered is about 1 in 133 for the average person. For a Trans person it’s 1 in 12. For Trans women of color it’s 1 in 8. Imagine we had a city the size of Phoenix Arizona with a murder rate that high. Imagine what people would say. Imagine the public outcry for support. To save these people.
Why share this data? Firstly because data is the first step in ending discrimination. People who aren’t facing the harassment and discrimination of being Trans may not see it. May not be able to understand it. But it’s hard to argue with cold hard facts, and I hope that most people would look at these numbers and know that it’s wrong for people to have to live with these statistics. We as Americans owe it to each other, to our Trans brothers, sisters, and siblings, to do better.
The other reason is a bit more simple. To show that it really sucks to be a Trans person in America. People seem to think that if we as a culture accept Trans and gender nonconforming people all of a sudden everyone will want to be Trans. As if it is some cool, trendy thing to do. However, being a trans person is not easy. The trans and non conforming people that I know face harassment on a daily basis just walking down the street. No one would choose to live with all of the crap associated with being trans if it were an easy choice. But it is not easy to live your life being true to yourself, especially when true to yourself is far beyond the “normal”.
To the people who argue that Trans people don’t exist, aren't’ real, or are just in it for some sort of thrill I say- Grow up. Pull your head out of your ass and realize that there is a much wider world out there than what fits into your tiny boxes. Humans are finding new and better ways of expressing themselves, and the world is changing. Either get on board, or get out of the way.
I don’t want to make it sound like every Trans person’s life is fraught with horror and discrimination. I don’t want to discourage people from seeking out their most honest selves and bending or breaking gender rules as they see fit. Gender rules were made to be broken. And by being true to yourself, you give others permission to do the same. If you are a trans or nonbinary person please know that you are loved. You are precious and important. Please don’t ever lose hope.
Until next week, stay safe out there
-Erin
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2015 Survey of Trans people- Washington Post:
June 2016 Study - NPR:
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