What It’s Like To Be A Trans Person In The U.S Today

In 2022 we are witnessing more anti-LGBTQ legislation at the state level than ever before in US history. The majority of these laws are targeting Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people (especially Trans and Gender Non-Conforming youth). This year we have seen at least 300 laws and policies be proposed attempting to criminalize life affirming healthcare for Trans youth, separate Trans kids from supportive family members, ban Trans people from competing in sports, prevent Trans people from using the restrooms of their choice, prohibits schools from including content about LGBTQ people, and more. Both The ACLU and The Equality Federation keep an up to date tracker with the status of the bills across the United States. 

This climate of hostility has led to LGBTQ youth attempting suicide at higher rates than ever. According to the Trevor Project, 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously attempted suicide in 2021. This high suicide rate is not because Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people are inherently disorderly, it’s because of the compounded discrimination of living in this society.

Politicians targeting Trans and Gender Non-Conforming youth legitimize Transphobia and give license and permission to bully Trans and Gender Non-Conforming youth.

On top of all of this, rates of anti-Trans murder (especially against Black Transgender women) in the United States continue to increase. According to the Human Rights Campaign, at least 14 Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people have been murdered this year alone. In fact – 2021 was the deadliest year on record of anti-Trans violence. It’s important to remember that Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people are most often misgendered and misrecognized by the press and their families upon death. So we do not have accurate data to truly grasp with the extent of anti-Trans murder.

Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people experience extreme rates of poverty and work place discrimination. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality Survey the rate of unemployment for Trans people was three times higher than the U.S. unemployment rate. Nearly one-third of Trans respondents lived in poverty and had experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. 16% of respondents had lost at least one job on account of their gender identity or expression. 15% of respondents were verbally harassed, physically attacked, and or sexually assaulted at work on account of their gender. More than ¾ of respondents took steps to avoid mistreatment in the workplace such as hiding or delaying their Transition or quitting their job. According to McKinsey, Trans people are more likely to be in entry-level positions and cisgender employees make 32% more money a year than Trans employees.