Why I talk about being trans so much: it is not because of me, at least not fully. I am one of the lucky ones to find an absolutely amazing and supportive person that keeps me from the worst of discrimination. But there are others who aren't so lucky.
These are statistics taken from a survey of near 6,500 trans people:
-41% have attempted suicide, 26x the national average (this is not counting those who have committed suicide, which would make the combined attempt/success rate higher)
-Over 1 in 50 have been physically assaulted in emergency rooms
-22% have been harassed by police
-19% have been refused medical care due to their gender identity
-1 in 5 have experienced homelessness
-19% have been denied housing due to their gender identity
-11% have been evicted due to their gender identity
-26% have lost a job due to being transgender
-Combining those who have lost a job, been refused a job, or denied a promotion due to their gender identity, the number rises to 47%
-Transgender individuals have a 4 to 5x greater chance than the general population of living in extreme poverty (making under $10,000 a year).
-90% have been harassed or otherwise mistreated in the workplace
Go on. Tell us it's our fault. Tell us it's just our fault for not blending in, not trying to pass as male/female enough, for just being too obviously trans. This is the response I usually get when I talk of how I or other trans people have been discriminated against: that we just haven't tried to blend in enough, that we are attention whores who deserve what we get for being ugly men in dresses with beards (honest to God comment I got from a family member arguing trans people should not be hired as they are "gross men in dresses who want to show off their beards and hairy chests")
Blend in, I'm always told. Or move to an area more accepting (like we can somehow magically afford to uproot our lives and move to another state. HEY GUYS. Moving costs MONEY and means you have to have a JOB in another state that can pay rent, and money to put down for that rent when moving there. (So for the love of fucking God stop you're classic, "THEN MOVE." line you say when I say I'm discriminated against. Seriously. Every. Fucking. Time. I am told if I don't like it, then move, like I can. THEN MOVE. Every time that is what they say, and it's not just one person, it's many, so don't feel like this is an attack on someone, it's just this constant "oh it must be your fault" shit I hate) I'm sick of me and people like me being blamed for being discriminated against. I'm sick of being told it's my fault that I can't afford to move to a more accepting place, that it's MY fault that I and people like me get treated like this. No. It's assholes who discriminate who are at fault. Not ours.
Again, I'm one of the lucky ones. I would not be here if it weren't for Chris and one particular other person who came into my life by sheer luck and a series of lucky coincidences. I'm lucky. I have a fiancé that supports me and best friends that love me. Others aren't. This isn't about me. Yes, I want to be treated fairly, I want to have a happy life, and being trans certainly fuels my desire even more to advocate for trans rights, but tell me that trans discrimination isn't a problem. Tell me they are to blame for all the assholes who make their lives hell. And then kindly fuck off. Because we and those that care about us won't stand for it anymore. I am who I am. I deserve respect. So does everyone else who is hated on just for being themselves. And I'm frankly sick of being quiet to please others and avoid being disowned by family. All of us who are "different" are sick of it. We are sick of being blamed. People need to know the situation. We will not remain invisible. I will talk about discrimination against trans people and anyone else who is discriminated against.
This is why it matters to me so much. Discrimination is wrong period, but trans people are discriminated against on an unimaginable level, and this is something that most people don't know about, or frankly don't care, are there are so few trans people that we're an unknown, a faceless entity. A "them", not an "us". I want people to see that we are out there, to show trans kids (and also adults) that they aren't alone. It can get better because we will make it better.
Note: Those statistics are just a few included in this survey on trans discrimination. I did not include statistics of those who have been assaulted (outside of the one I mentioned) in their daily lives or school. If you want to read the full report here it is: http://www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/ntds
The article that brought this whole rant on: http://prospect.org/article/counting-transgender-community-0
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