I wrote over 20 columns on this subject for Advocate.com in 2006-2007, and you'll find updated versions of those columns plus new ones on this web site. In the next 800 words I’ll summarize the key things you need to know. I’ll include links in the text where those updated columns provide more information on particular topics.
Let’s start with terminology. Individuals with an alternate gender identity (who you are) and/or gender expression (how you look and act) often get referred to as “transgender” for expediency.
Unfortunately, because of the stigma associated with any adjective beginning with “trans,” many people affected by issues related to their gender identity or expression nonetheless deny being transgender. These people include the swishy man or boy whose feminine behavior provokes catcalls or bullying, the masculine woman or girl who gets harassed when she uses the ladies’ room, the gay individual who occasionally dresses "in drag" (in clothes of the opposite gender), and the intersex person born with any one of a number of conditions that make their anatomical sex inconsistent or ambiguous.
Those who are more classically included under the transgender umbrella include transsexuals who transition genders as I did, heterosexual cross-dressers who have an opposite gender presentation only part of the time, and gender-queer people who have a unique gender presentation all of the time.
Sexual orientation (who you love) has no relation to any of this. As an example, I am still attracted to women in my new life while my two best friends, also trans women, are now attracted to men. I am therefore gay but my friends are straight.
What is the prevalence of transgenderism and gender non-conformity? For many years all we had to go on were the low numbers from the American Psychiatric Association, dating from the decades-old beginnings of transgender understanding. But trans woman Lynn Conway, a brilliant computer scientist who developed technology used in most computers today, applied her analytical smarts a few years ago to come up with a better estimate -- 1.5% of the population, or 15 people per thousand in the population. Comparing with the Williams Institute’s latest statistic for gay/lesbian prevalence, that’s one person for every three gay/lesbian people.
If that seems too high, it could be because transgender people have been highly closeted in the past. Those who transitioned genders often chose to live “stealth” in their new gender -- never admitting to being transgender -- because of safety concerns, societal stigma, and prejudice. And as GenderPAC executive director Riki Wilchins observed in a 2008 Advocate.com commentary, even the gay rights movement previously forced gender-nonconforming gays into hiding to make the argument “that we are ‘just like everyone else’ except that we sleep with same-sex partners.”
Part of the stigma about being trans comes from the fact that “gender identity disorder” is still in the American Psychiatric Association’s catalog of mental disorders. Why hasn’t it been removed when homosexuality was removed in 1973? Because for those of us who need hormones and surgery to feel authentic in our new genders, paternalistic medical guidelines still require a GID diagnosis. Some believe that the diagnosis enables doctors to provide treatment when they might fear accusations of malpractice without it.
Another source of the stigma is what I call MIDS -- Man in a Dress Syndrome. Women were essentially required 30 years ago to cross-dress -- in masculine-looking skirt suits -- to gain entrance into corporate America. But even today, when a man puts on the clothes of a woman he is immediately presumed less capable. Sadly, this is not the only way in which overt sexism skews perceptions of transgender people.
Only 37% of Americans live in areas explicitly banning discrimination based on gender identity and expression, the latest statistic from the National Center for Transgender Equality. In areas lacking protection, a simple “no-match” letter from the Social Security Administration, stating that the gender in its database does not match the one you listed in your employment application, can provoke your employer to fire you.
That’s sad, because transgender people can be very capable employees. There are many success stories. Fortunately, acceptance in corporate America is growing rapidly. The Corporate Equality Index of the Human Rights Campaign has registered stunning increases in the number of major U.S. businesses banning discrimination based on gender identity and expression. If there is such a groundswell of support, why then did lawmakers exclude gender identity and expression from the 2008 House bill to outlaw employment discrimination (called “ENDA”)?
It’s because conservative religious activists have been busy learning everything about transgenderism and gender non-conformity so they can twist the facts and scare the lawmakers. Legislators need to know that trans issues are not a new ploy in the “homosexual agenda.” Quite the contrary: Transgender people were visible in everyday life in the Bible, along with evidence that Jesus wanted us included too.
We all need to rally behind transgender inclusion in ENDA. Do what you can, even if it’s just forwarding the link for this page to a friend. Help show that we truly want equality for all.
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