transgender

Examples of transgender in the following topics:

• Discrimination Based on Sex and Gender

  • Transgender inequality is the unequal protection and treatment that transgender people face in work, school, and society in general.
  • Currently, transgender individuals are not protected in 33 U.S. states from being fired for being transgender or not conforming to gender norms.
  • Transgender people regularly face transphobic harassment and violence.
  • According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the combination of anti-transgender bias with structural and individual racism means that transgender people of color experience particularly high levels of discrimination.
  • Specifically, black transgender people reported the highest level of discrimination among all transgender individuals of color.

• Gender as a Spectrum and Transgender Identities

  • Transgender is independent of sexual orientation; transgender people may identify as heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, asexual, or any other kind of sexuality, just like cisgender people do.
  • It is difficult to determine the prevalence of transgender people in society; however, it is estimated that 2–5% of the U.S. population is transgender (Transgender Law and Policy Institute 2007).
  • The umbrella of transgender identities includes many different and sometimes-overlapping categories.
  • Not all transgender individuals choose to alter their bodies or physically transition from one sex to another.
  • The flag above is the marker of transgender pride.

• Gender Dysphoria

  • Many people who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria identify as transgender, genderfluid, or otherwise gender non-conforming in some way; however not everyone who identifies as transgender or gender non-conforming experiences gender dysphoria.
  • Many transgender people and researchers supported the declassification of GID, arguing that the diagnosis pathologizes a natural form of gender variance, reinforces the binary model of gender (i.e., the idea that there are only two genders and that everyone must fit neatly into one of these two genders), and can result in stigmatization of transgender individuals.
  • Many people argue that the distress associated with gender dysphoria is not caused by any disorder within the individual, but by difficulties encountered from social disapproval of transgender identities and alternative genders.
  • Without the classification of gender dysphoria as a medical disorder, sex-reassignment therapy may be viewed as cosmetic treatment—rather than medically necessary treatment for many transgender individuals—and thus may not be covered.
  • While the diagnosis of gender dysphoria may perpetuate stigma against transgender individuals, it may also be a necessary tool for accessing transition-related therapy.

• Defining Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

  • Those who identify with a role that is different from their biological sex (for example, they were born with male sex characteristics, were assigned as a boy, but identify today as a girl, woman, or some other gender altogether) are often referred to as transgender.
  • The term "transgender" encompasses a wide range of possible identities, including agender, genderfluid, genderqueer, two-spirit (for many indigenous people), androgynous, and many others.
  • The standard model explains that gender is categorized into two separate, opposing sides, being either masculine or feminine, again completely excluding those who are intersex, transgender, androgynous, and so on.
  • Those who identify with a gender that is different from their biological sex are called transgender.

• Development of Gender Identity

  • In many Western cultures, individuals who identify with a gender that is different from their biological sex (for example, they are assigned female at birth but feel inwardly that they are a boy or a gender other than a girl) are called transgender.
  • Some transgender individuals, if they have access to resources and medical care, choose to alter their bodies through medical interventions such as surgery and hormonal therapy so that their physical being is better aligned with their gender identity.
  • However, many transgender, genderqueer, or genderfluid individuals are not able to embrace their true gender identity until much later in life, largely due to both societal pressure to conform to the gender binary and the societal stigma associated with transgender identities.

• Cultural and Societal Influences on Adolescent Development

  • In the United States and many other parts of the world, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth face much discrimination and bullying by their peers based on the broader cultural attitudes about LGBTQ issues; many are ostracized from peer groups because they are seen to be breaking culturally based gender norms.
  • This can have a tremendous impact on the development of queer or transgender adolescents, increasing their risk for depression, anxiety, and even suicide.

• Sexual Orientation

  • Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT).
  • The majority of empirical and clinical research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations are done with largely white, middle-class, well-educated samples.

• Current Issues and Debates in Psychology

  • One of the major impacts of this change is the reduction of stigma by changing the language from "disorder" to "dysphoria," which serves as a step toward depathologizing people who identify as transgender or differently gendered.
  • At the same time, transgender people seeking surgical or hormonal treatment have historically been forced to rely on the diagnosis of gender identity disorder in order to access the appropriate treatment, however stigmatizing the diagnosis may be.

• Gender and Sociology

  • Transgender, genderqueer, and other gender-nonconforming people face discrimination, oppression, and violence for not adhering to society's traditional gender roles.

• Human Sexuality and Culture

  • Social movements in the latter half of the 20th century, such as the sexual revolution, the rise of feminism, and the advancement of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights have helped to bring about massive changes in social perceptions of sexuality.