RESEARCH GUIDE

Transgender Research:Experiences and Public Policies

JumpStart

1. Research Tab: Click Transgender under the Research Tab on our home page, or access our research directly here: Transgender Research.

2. National: For research on transgender issues and experiences at a national level, first see Injustice at Every Turn, A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. This is the most comprehensive study to date on the experiences of transgender people in the U.S. Additional studies can be found by searching in related topics under the Research Tab and through our on-site Search option.

3. State or Local: Search for studies of experiences, policies, and practices at the state and local levels on the U.S. State Resource Map. Additional studies can be found by searching in related topics under the Research Tab and through our on-site Search option.

4. Global: We have resources on issues at the international level, as well. Search for International under the Research Tab on our home page, or access our research here, International Research.

GettingOriented

The following concepts and questions are useful in considering how to study the experiences of and public policies relevant to transgender people:

1. Transgender Identity: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) defines the adjective transgender as, [describing] a diverse group of individuals who cross or transcend culturally defined categories of gender. The gender identity of transgender people differs to varying degrees from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Individuals, however, use a variety of identities they feel most appropriately represent themselves, such as transgender, transsexual, trans, gender non-conforming, MTF, FTM, male, female, two-spirit, genderqueer, non-binary, and third gender. Researchers should be cognizant of this diversity. Individuals, survey administrators, researchers, media, clinicians, and others may use different terms with differing degrees of inclusiveness to identify and limit the populations they wish to describe. For further discussion of diverse gender identities, see A Gender Not Listed Here: Genderqueers, Gender Rebels, and OtherWise in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

2. The U.S. Transgender Population: There is much we do not know about the size, demographics, and other characteristics of the transgender population in the U.S. To date, the best estimate of the size of the adult transgender population in the U.S. is 700,000 individuals (0.3% of the U.S. adult population). Find more information about this estimate in Williams Institute Blachford-Cooper Distinguished Scholar and Research Director Gary Gates report, How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender?

Currently, few federal surveys that provide information about the U.S. population, such as the Census and the National Health Interview Survey, ask questions to identify transgender people or other gender minorities. The Williams Institute convened a multi-year study to design questions to identify transgender people that could be added to these surveys. For a report outlining those best practices, see Best Practices for Asking Questions to Identify Transgender and Other Gender Minority Respondents on Population-Based Surveys. The Williams Institute has also worked with the California Health Interview Survey, one of the largest health surveys in the U.S., to add gender identity questions to their survey for the 2015-2016 cycle.

2

3. Developing Appropriate Surveys and Survey Questions for Transgender People: i. Researchers designing surveys focused on or inclusive of transgender people need to consider

a variety of factors in their methodology. For a review of the challenges and opportunities in surveying the transgender population on matters of health care, see Counting Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults in Health Research: Recommendations from the Gender Identity in U.S. Surveillance Group.

ii. Surveys that observe transgender populations outside of the U.S. need to make additional considerations. Individuals outside the U.S. may or may not use the same identities that are commonly used in the U.S. Recently, the Williams Institute partnered with the Blue Diamond Society of Nepal to conduct a survey to better understand the identities and experiences of gender minorities in that country, see Surveying Nepals Sexual and Gender Minorities for further analysis. A follow-up report, here, includes a review of the processes involved in surveying gender minority populations in Nepal, An Inclusive Approach to Surveys of Sexual and Gender Minorities: Report of Meeting, Kathmandu, Nepal.

4. Future Work: Be sure to look for future Williams Institute research and publications, such as TransPop: The U.S. Transgender Population Health Survey, an upcoming study of transgender demography, health, discrimination, and other issues based on a representative sample of transgender-identified individuals in the U.S.

ImportantConsiderationsforPublicPolicy

1. What is the scope? Is this a local, state, or federal issue? Public or Private? When analyzing policies relevant to transgender people it is important to consider who is affected by these policies and the extent of their impact. For example, a locality could adopt an ordinance that only applies to public sector employees; the federal government could enact a law that does not apply to religious institutions. These policy boundaries matter for all policies, including those relevant to transgender people, such as regulations pertaining to gendered bathrooms, hate crimes prevention, and policies to update personal identification documents. 2. Who administers, manages, and enforces policy changes? Enforcement of public policy may fall

upon governments, businesses, and individuals. There are also avenues by which individuals can seek recourse, lodge complaints, and otherwise take action to challenge or uphold policies.

3. How might policies and practices indirectly affect transgender people? Many policies have

aspects that are gender-based, and this may have implications for transgender people. Do practices allow recognition of individuals gender identity? Are there additional actions a transgender person must take, because of their gender identity, to act in accordance with a policy? For instance, there are state and federal policies that govern how an individual can update their personal information on official documents, such as birth certificates and passports. For transgender people, additional regulations apply for changing some information on these documents, such as the gender marker. The Williams Institute has examined this particular concern in assessing the impact of voter ID laws on transgender people. It is important to consider that policy changes not directed at transgender populations may nevertheless indirectly affect them.

3

EmpiricalResearch

Williams Institute research on transgender peoples experiences and relevant public policies is ongoing. It is helpful to think of this body of research as addressing these central questions: What are the experiences of transgender people? What public policies are particularly relevant for transgender people? What are these policies effects? Experiences of Transgender People

Scholars at the Williams Institute have published reports on a variety of topics and issues relevant to transgender people: 1. Health: i. Transition: While transgender people face the same health concerns as the general population,

they also have unique health considerations in regard to gender transition. For an analysis of one such health issue related to transition, see Associations between Transition-Specific Stress Experience, Nocturnal Decline in Ambulatory Blood Pressure, and C-Reactive Protein Levels among Transgender Men.

ii. Suicide: Research suggests that transgender people have a greater risk of attempting suicide than the general population. For a comprehensive analysis of factors associated with an elevated risk of suicide attempts, see Suicide Attempts among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Adults: Findings of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

2. Homelessness: LGBTQ youth face a disproportionate risk of homelessness. This Williams Institute report, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines the capacities and needs of organizations seeking to address this populations risks, Identifying and Serving LGBTQ Youth: Case Studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Grantees.

3. Social-service Providers: Transgender, gay, and bisexual male youth of color face unique challenges in accessing the social services they need. For a Williams Institute analysis of these challenges, see Provider Perspectives on the Needs of Gay and Bisexual Male and Transgender Youth of Color.

4. Parenting: For a comprehensive review of the literature on transgender parenting, see Transgender Parenting: A Review of Existing Research.

5. Gendered Bathrooms: Transgender people are harmed when they are denied access to appropriate public facilities, such as bathrooms and shelters. For a Williams Institute scholars analysis of how gendered facilities affect individuals, see Gendered Restrooms and Minority Stress: The Public Regulation of Gender and its Impact on Transgender Peoples Lives.

6. Law Enforcement: Some transgender individuals report facing harassment and discrimination by law enforcement. Other transgender individuals who are themselves law enforcement officers have faced discrimination by their colleagues. For Williams Institute analyses of these distinct experiences, see Latina Transgender Womens Interactions with Law Enforcement in Los Angeles County and Discrimination against Law Enforcement Officers on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: 2000 to 2013.

7. Military Service: Transgender individuals are prohibited from serving openly in the U.S. Armed Forces. The repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell allowed lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women to serve openly but did not change federal policy regarding transgender individuals. For estimates of how many transgender people have served and are currently serving in the U.S. military, see Transgender Military Service in the United States. For a report on the experiences of transgender

4

individuals who have served, see Still Serving in Silence: Transgender Service Members and Veterans in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.

8. International: Transgender and other gender non-conforming individuals outside of the United States face experiences unique to their identities and communities. For a Williams Institute survey of the Nepalese third-gender population, see Surveying Nepals Third Gender: Development, Implementation, and Analysis.

PublicPolicies

1. Voting: Transgender people face unique concerns when it comes to voting. A number of states have adopted strict voter identification requirements that disproportionately affect transgender people, who may not have ID that accurately reflects their gender identity. For Williams Institute research that examines the potential impact of these laws in the 2012 and 2014 elections, see The Potential Impact of Voter Identification Laws on Transgender Voters and The Potential Impact of Voter Identification Laws on Transgender Voters in the 2014 General Election. For state-level research on North Carolina, see The Potential Impact of a Strict Voter Identification Law on Transgender Voters in North Carolina.

2. Legal Recognition of Gender/ Gender Identity: For legal research focused on changing an

individuals gender in official documentation, see Documenting Gender.

3. Criminal Justice: i. Hate Crimes: There is limited research on the prevalence of hate crimes against transgender people.

For an overview of early research, along with analyses of hate crimes directed at other marginalized groups, see Comparison of Hate Crime Rates across Protected and Unprotected Groups.

ii. Prison: For an analysis of the practice of segregating individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the prison system, see Strategic Segregation in the Modern Prison.

iii. Legal Proceedings: For testimony given by a Williams Institute researcher on proposed legislation concerning the Trans Panic defense in California, see Testimony: California Legislature Assembly Bill 2501.

4. Local Discrimination Protection: Many states, cities, and other localities have adopted prohibitions against transgender discrimination in a number of areas, such as in housing and employment. For studies examining policies in Maryland and New York, see Local Laws and Government Policies Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity in Maryland and Local Laws and Government Policies Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity in New York.

5. Economic/Fiscal Cost Analyses: Researchers at the Williams Institute have analyzed the cost implications of a variety of policies and laws that impact transgender individuals: i. Health Care: Few health insurance plans provide coverage for transition-related health care.

For a Williams Institute analysis of the costs and benefits to a sample of employers that provide this coverage, see Costs and Benefits of Providing Transition-Related Health Care Coverage in Employee Health Benefits Plans, Findings from a Survey of Employers.

ii. Discrimination Protection: Most states do not prohibit transgender discrimination. For Williams Institute estimates of the costs of transgender discrimination in a few of these states, see The Cost of Employment Discrimination against Transgender Residents of Massachusetts, The Cost of Employment and Housing Discrimination against Transgender Residents of New York, and The Cost of Employment Discrimination against Transgender Residents of Florida.

5