Transphobia

Transphobia or transmisia is any prejudice or discrimination based on bad feelings toward transgender or transsexual people. This also means refusing them the chance to take part in society, have a job, or forcing prostitution out of them, not only hate speech or hate crime against the transgender person. In 2009, to prohibit hate crime against transgender people, Matthew Shepard Act was passed and entered into force by recognition of the president Barack Obama in the United States.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees point out the asylum seekers because of gender identity together with the Yogyakarta Principles. But a transgender woman who has escaped from Guatemala to Denmark has been put into a male centre and raped there. Now she is in danger to be returned into Guatemala by Danish government.

Transphobia is common all over the world. It is also found in social justice movements such as feminism. It is especially associated with radical feminism. 'Transmisogyny' is a word that refers to transphobia towards trans women. Julia Serano made it popular with her book Whipping Girl. Cissexism is sometimes used as a synonym for transphobia, and cisphobia is sometimes used as its antonym.

Forms

Misgendering and exclusion

Misgendering is when someone does not use the pronouns preferred by a transgender person, deliberately or by accident. Deadnaming is using a name that someone used before transitioning.

Statistics

Violence against transgender people
In a 2012 study of transgender people in the United Kingdom, 14% had been sexually assaulted for being transgender. 6% had been raped because they were transgender. These are hate crimes. 38% had been sexually harassed because they were transgender.

A review of American studies on sexual violence against transgender people found that about 50% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted.

Homelessness
In the National Transgender Discrimination Survey 19% had become homeless at some time in their lives because they were transgender.

Transphobia at work
In 2013 there was a study about transphobia in the American workforce. It found that 26% of transgender people had been fired for being transgender. Transgender people are not protected against employment discrimination under US law.
The National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that 60% of Native American transgender people had not been given a job because of being transgender. 10% were sexually assaulted at work.

Prison
Transgender people are put in prison more often than cisgender (non-transgender) people. The biggest study about discrimination against transgender people found that 16% of transgender people had been in prison. Black transgender people were even more likely to have been in prison. 41% of black transgender people said that they had been put in prison because of discrimination. They are often not put in prisons that match their gender identities. They may also be refused hormones. A famous example of this is Chelsea Manning.

Health
Transphobia has been identified as a predictor of HIV risk and suicide attempts in transgender people. A study found that transgender women are 49 times more likely to have HIV compared with adults in general.

Human rights enforcement
In a case before the Human Rights Tribunal in British Columbia several business owners were sued for refusing service to a transgender woman. The transgender person lost the case.

Related pages
Discrimination
Transgender
Homophobia
Matthew Shepard Act
Phobia
Yogyakarta Principles
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Cissexism
Gender binarism
International Day Against Homophobia

References 

Discrimination
Transgender