Cultural Differences And Gender Appropriateness

Majority of transgender people will face some sort of discrimination in their lifetime whether it is through being rejected by their families, denied housing or finding employment. “Employment discrimination forces many to become involved in the street economy and in survival crime. Widespread bias and ignorance among law enforcement and other officials mean that transgender people are disproportionately subjected to arrest and, in turn, imprisonment.” (al, 2011)

In the late 1950’s to mid-1960’s, the transgender community faced discrimination such as physical and verbal harassment, denial of social spaces, and alienation in the media. This matters to us today because transgender individuals are still existing and are a part of our human population today. The community is also still struggling to find their representation in the media and in society. The transgender community is still facing a wide array of types of discrimination, from nasty looks to denied access of education. Gender identity should not be taken into consideration when determining another person’s worthiness of respect.

Transgendered people in America have made many great strides since the 1990s. They have encountered violence, lack of health care, and the loss of homes, jobs, family and friends. There have been many phases of the struggle of being transgendered in America over the years. The current phase we must be in now is equal rights. There are many variations of discrimination against the transgendered community. In our society we simply do not like what we do not understand. It is easier to discriminate than to try and understand. We are all created different and we should appreciate our differences. The change must come by addressing the views of the public. There is much justification in the unequal rights of transgendered peoples. The Human

This is in direct correlation with the increased probability of mental illnesses in the transgender population. Traditional views certainly do not help as many transgender citizens are told they are “sick” because of their difference with many religious and personal beliefs. A study from Boston published earlier this year in the Journal of Adolescent Health, reported that transsexual youth had two to three times increased risk of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety disorder, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, self-harm without lethal intent, and both inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment. These statistics show the clear consequences of mental health transgenders are facing if transgender rights continues to be unregulated. It is essential that the federal government steps in to take action in order to make sure things do not continue on this downwards path.

Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it “describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation” (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

Transgenders are being categorized as being mentally ill. Though transgender counseling exists it only focuses on pathology and diagnosis. Transgenders are also severely at risk of hate crimes. In the United States alone, there are 321 transgender hate crimes per year. Transgender hate crimes can be compared to Muslims post-9/11. There’s no law to protect them from these hate crimes and nothing is ever really done to show them that they have rights too. There’s no law protecting them with employment right’s either. Due to discrimination they are vulnerable and led to no job, homelessness, suicide and even no health care. ( Anneliese A. Singh, Danica G. Hays, and Laurel S. Watson 20)

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.

Americans are often seen as a beacon of freedom but are the people truly free? The citizens of America are entitled to their rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of choice but when it comes to their sexuality or gender identity, their freedoms are limited whether by law or by a person’s opinion. Although there are rights that are law, it does not mean the people would obey the laws accordingly. Discrimination and harassment against transgender and people of a different sexuality is common among people under the age of 25. Studies shows that about 49 percent of transgender people under the age of 25 have attempted suicide because they were harassed (Ford). Transgender people are allowed the same basic rights as other citizens, but

“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.

Grant et al. (2011) explain on the Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey that 19% of their sample reported being refused medical care due to their transgender or gender non-conforming status, with even higher numbers among people of color in the survey. In addition, the survey indicated that 50% of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender

Reiheld argues that transgender persons have a hard time receiving equal care, or any care at all. I agree with Reiheld that transgender patients have difficulty in receiving the proper medical attention that they deserve. However, in this paper I will provide further solutions from Reiheld that decreases discrimination with transgender persons in America. Transgender persons in America should be treated equally in medical settings, and hospital workers should make sure that equality is served. What I believe being treated equally means is having the same rights as any other person. A transgender person, in my eyes, is a person whose self-identity does not conform to the sex their body was born with. Transgender persons in America have a difficult time receiving quality health care, or sometimes do not receive any health care. If hospital employees followed through with additional education and training to accommodate transgenders persons in America, this can ensure that all Americans regardless of sex, sexual orientation/identity, etc. are treated equally in the medical setting. Due to discrimination because of ignorance, and lack of awareness providing alternative

In his book Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law, lawyer, writer, and professor Dean Spade argues that the majority of social justice works needs to dismantle the notion that legal action in the form of recognition, visibility, and inclusion, such as anti-discrimination laws and hate crime legislation, will eliminate transphobia and related injustices, and encourages activists to take action that will transform societal standards from general society to the transgender community on an ascending scale as the only way in which to ensure sustainable, effective results. He argues that formal, or legal, equality is not deterrent, and exists as a space in which bias, exclusion, and discrimination still occur, differentiating it from actual, effective equality. Before prejudicial behavior can even occur within the legal system, however, Spade points out that litigation is expensive, thus nearly impossible for members of the transgender community to obtain and they are often precluded from job opportunities as a result of transphobia within the professional world. In addition, intent is

The effort to promote a more tolerant society has polluted America’s legislation with bills that favor the rights of minorities over the rights of the majority. One instance of such acts are the newly emerging neutral bathroom policy laws. This law, designed in favor of transgenders, establishes public bathrooms that any individual can enter regardless of their sex. While democratic liberals back these policies because it allows the LGBTQ community to use the bathroom that corresponds to their identity, the reality that results from this situation is much darker. Author Kaeley Triller realizes the consequences of allowing these neutral bathroom policies in her article: “A Rape Survivor Speaks Out About Transgender Bathrooms”, in which she, being a former victim of sexual assault, explains the dangers of such laws. She states, “I am not saying that transgender people are predators… What I am saying is that there are countless deviant men in this world who will pretend to be transgender as a means of gaining access to the people they want to exploit, namely women and children. It already happens. Just Google Jason

In America today, a minority group is being discriminated against in great severity, being treated as perverts and as the mentally ill for looking different and wanting the same rights and respect as other American citizens. This group of people is the transgender community. To introduce the idea, the term transgender can be used as a blanket term to describe the standard mentality of having been born the wrong gender, one who defies social gender-based norms by doing things such as cross-dressing, masculine females, feminine males, people who do not identify as one gender or another, people who identify as a third gender, people who identify with no gender, people born with intersex qualities, and possibly others (Currah 3). This paper, though, more generally covers transgender individuals who identify as one gender or another, with their identity being the opposite of their birth gender. Some states, such as Minnesota, have protected transgender people in their nondiscrimination laws, but in spite of this, in 2001, it was deemed nondiscriminatory when Julie Goins as forbidden from using the female bathroom (Currah 5). This is far from an isolated event, though. In Louisiana, a federal court ruled it nondiscriminatory for a Winn-Dixie to fire Peter Olier for, at times, crossdressing outside of work (Currah 2). There aren’t just laws that claim to support, but then fail to defend transgender people, or a lack of laws in place to protect them.There are also laws to directly

Transgender people are discriminated on an almost daily basis. They are discriminated in the workplace, as shown in a study commisioned by the Equalities Review. In a group of transgender people who have jobs and are prone to workplace-enviroment effects and opinions, “many respondents experienced harassment from co-workers and employers.” Nearly 29% of the group experience verbal abuse and harassment in the workplace enviroment, and about 4% received physical abuse. About 7% experienced threats, and about 27% experienced some sort of different treatment due to their gender non-conforming ways.(Whittle 38-39). In another study, it was found that being mistreated in the school years would have a negative effect on future outcomes relating to employment. “Those who were physically attacked in school were considerably more likely to stay in a job (64%) compared to those who were not (42%) (Grant 50).” They are also discriminated in public as well, adding on to the distress that many transgender people suffer from regularly, making it seem as if all transgender people are crazy. Transgender people are just more likely to be diagnosed as someone with a mental disorder because its helpful to see that those who have been diagnosed are “hurting and something needs to be done to help (Kreitler 1).” In