A Large Issue Facing Trans Women

It's so important that CAITLYN is standing for the trans community right now. Trans teens and adults are constantly berated, treated terribly, and sometimes KILLED around the world just because they're born within the wrong body. It's so important that such a huge figure in media transitioned because it has the possibility of opening a safer, welcoming environment for those who face the same issues with gender identity and their body.

When discussing injustices, it is pivotal--for the sake of true progressive social change--to include all oppressed groups into the dialogue. Transgender People tend to be heavily misrepresented and demonized. Because of transphobia, there

In her book “Gender Outlaw: On Men, Woman, and the Rest of us,” Kate Bornstein goes over a lot of the major issues regarding gender awareness and identity politics. She talks about the ideas of labeling ones self, understanding gender differences, how people view laws, behaviors, and the medical and scientific privilege that make transitioning challenging for a lot of people. Bornstein touches on many of the issues today that affect trans people. She includes poetry, pictures, quotes, essays, and a play to raise questions and discuss the idea of gender. This is a great book to introduce and discuss the issues that affect the lives of trans people as they navigate and explore the lines that define gender.

Not only did the authors believe that opponents are using these claims to support their arguments, they also believed that it placed stereotypes on men or an imagined male, to be threats and women to be weak and in need of protection. Schilt and Westbrook argued that opponents did not take into account that transgender individuals report facing an immense amount of discrimination and are in need of protection as well. They also argued that their opponent’s claims “generate fear and misunderstanding around transgender people along with the suggestion that transgender people are less deserving of protection than cisgender women and children (Bathroom Battlegrounds and Penis Panics, para. 6).” Although they mentioned that they were not suggesting that sexual assault is not a serious issue, they argued that public restrooms rarely have such assaults. In addition, they argued that based on empirical data, transgender people in the Unites States are much more likely to face violence rather than creating it. They also emphasized that their opponents were not able to site these claims of an actual case of bathroom sexual assault, rather that it was just from their deep-rooted cultural fears.

“The “I was born in the wrong body” rhetoric favored by other Tran’s people doesn’t work any better and is just as offensive, reducing us to our collective breasts and vaginas. Imagine the reaction if a young white man suddenly declared that he was trapped in the wrong body and, after using chemicals to change his skin pigmentation and crocheting his hair into twists, expected to be embraced by the black community.” Burkett addresses an issue with the way women are being projected by Tran’s genders by giving an example of an equally offensive stereotype. Stereotypes have been defining women in such a negative light by people everywhere and nowadays, it’s becoming acceptable. “…the prelude to a new photo spread and interview in Vanity Fair that offered us a glimpse into Caitlyn Jenner’s idea of a woman: a cleavage-boosting corset, sultry poses, thick mascara and the prospect of regular “girls’ nights” of banter about hair and makeup. Ms. Jenner was greeted with even more thunderous applause.” Burkett gives countless examples of how women are degraded to their stereotypes that aren’t a fair or equal

Everyday Transgender Women of color are mistreated and repressed by society, they face constant ridicule and mistreatment. They face a constant issue of society judging them and putting them under a microscope. Societal repression is a constant issue these women face just because of their gender identity. Transgender Women of Color are one of the most least mentioned groups in society. This under shadowed group of women is struggling. They face constant abuse and repression, society is destroying these women. These women who are just like everyone else are one of the most mistreated societal groups around. They face things like mistreatment in the health field that should be helping them through one of the biggest transitions of their life.

Carolyn Turpin-Petrosino, who is a Criminal Justice Professor at Bridgewater State University, states that crimes are committed for numerous reasons. However, when dealing with bias crime, also known as hate crime, the motivation stems from “prejudice or hostile” behavior that is “triggered by his or her perception of the victim’s ethnicity, race, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender” (Tupin-Petrosino, 2015, p. 2). When one thinks of a gender-based crime, many individuals concluded the crime’s victim is most likely a woman. However, in recent years, that statistic has been proven partially true. This is because the term ‘woman’ no longer refers to an individual who is genetically born with female genital, but rather defines those who are “non-normative or non-traditional” and not born with female parts (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). Quite often, our society places these particular individuals in a category of transgender.

The misconception of trans women is the accusation of not being a “real” women that can increase violence as a way of rejection. The behavior would consist of rejection, verbal abuse, or severe violence. The worse part of all is this act of crime is not reported because trans women are blamed for this brutality. “She brought it upon herself”, is the common response society has towards this criminal act. Victim blaming is present when a victim of a crime is held responsible or

In Abby Ellin’s article, “For Transgender Women, An Extra Dose of Fear,” the experiences of Abbie Paige, along with a variety of other transgender women, are discussed. Most notably, it has been asserted that as a result of being transgender, not only do these individuals face an increased risk of being subject to physical danger, but they also must conform to what society deems as absolute. For example, even though certain individuals may not be cisgender, or have a gender identity that aligns with their sex, they still must use facilities which their surrounding society deems appropriate. Additionally, as a result of the lack of acceptance and equality in the political economical hemisphere, people who drift away from their assumed gender roles may face extreme difficulties when attempting to get healthcare services.

Serano recalls her own experiences of being sexualized to shed light on how trans identities are sexualized. The story points out how a person’s transition from one gender to another, or being trans itself can be viewed as sexual solicitation, rather than a result of their own identity (Serano 257). The sexualization of trans people is based on a societal viewpoint that centers itself around male heterosexuality, as Serano expounds:

The governmental perpetuation of the myth that people who do not identify with their assigned gender at birth have a mental illness enforces public misunderstanding, fear, and hate. When government agents prohibit the gathering of information about trans individuals, they close themselves off from understanding the values and motives, of a large portion of the population. The government perpetuating the misconception that trans-gendered individuals are “mentally ill” encourages citizens to fear people who are not like them. Sustaining a culture of ignorance and

“There is an undeniable epidemic of fatal violence against transgender and gender non-confirming women, specifically transgender women of color in the United States…” The topic of transgender women of color becoming countless victims in our country is a travesty. Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals in general are at high risk for violent acts to befall them. The information that follows will be specifically focusing on transgender women of color in the United States.

The use of new media has transformed the way in which we receive the latest news content, but, despite this new form of media, we still do not receive every breaking news that occurs in the U.S. The article “Rise in Number of Transgender People Murdered” by Keira Andrews and Jeff Simmons, highlights the ongoing issue of transgender murders, specifically black trans women in the United States. The authors discuss the rates of murders in the U.S within the general population and compare it to those rates of black trans women, which surpass the general population rate. It is also important to consider the fact that these statistics are not completely accurate, mainly due to the fact that the death of transgender individuals are undercounted, thus

Coming out as a transgender, identifying with a gender expression that differs from the assigned sex, has proven to be quite difficult through the ages. While the acceptance of transgender people has grown significantly higher throughout the years, people’s stance on them are still quite divided, and the uphill battle for transgender rights has proven this. Just giving transgenders the right to simply go to the bathroom they identify with has shown to be controversial according to the TIME cover Battle of the Bathroom. The TIME magazine makes sure to note the problem defiantly “far more than public facilities” (Scherer par. 9). Transgender rights are a problem that Jamison Green, president for World Professional Association for Transgender Health, thoroughly addresses in a report written by Alan Greenblatt for CQ Researcher. Jamison Green’s specific purpose in that report is to justify why transgender people deserve basic human rights like everybody else, as shown in society, through his use of facts, qualifiers, figurative language, counterarguments, and appeals to logic and values.

The social issue that I chose which affects society today is transgender inequality. These issues are more recently gaining attention and becoming a prevalent topic of inequality within our country. A transgender person is someone whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth. As more and more transgender people share their stories in the media, the social problems that arise from these stories are discrimination within their everyday lives. They suffer from scrutiny and judgment from their peers, and thus many hide their gender identity from family and society. This social injustice can be as simple as a glance or staring, or offensive comments and questions to violent hate crimes. Transgender people are prone to violence and harassment, and often not feeling safe in any aspect of society. They are fired from jobs, denied medical insurance, and being murdered left and right solely for being transgender. “A staggering 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6% of the general population, with rates rising for those who lost a job due to bias (55%), were harassed/bullied in school (51%), had low household income, or were the victim of physical assault (61%) or sexual assault (64%)” (National Center for Transgender Equality). The structure of this paper will consist of adding all the research that was gathered over the semester, news articles and peer