Bias & discrimination against the transgender community

Learn about how implicit bias and explicit discrimination show up and impact the transgender community.
Transgender woman holding a rainbow heart sign

Understand how bias and inequity show up for the transgender community

Learn about how things are and how how they have changed for the transgender community

In 2016, the National Center for Transgender Equality released the largest survey ever devoted to the lives and experiences of transgender people. Learn about the findings here.
Read the report

Common biases and microaggressions toward LGBTQ+ people

LGBTQ+ people deal with implicit and explicit bias every day. Learn about some of the unconscious ways we perpetuate negative assumptions and stereotypes.
Understand microaggressions

Our words and actions have an impact

As part of Transgender Awareness Week, GLAAD created a photo essay to highlight the microaggressions that transgender people face every day.
View the photo essay

Inequities and disparities

Transgender people are more likely to experience economic and health inequities and disparities which can have a devastating impact. For instance, transgender people are at higher risk for:
Black doctor conducting a checkup on transgender woman

  1. Suicide:
    41% of transgender people say that they've attempted suicide at some point.

  2. Homelessness:
    1 in 5 transgender people have experienced homelessness.
    1 in 3 (29%) report being turned away from a shelter.
    1 in 5 (19%) in the U.S. have been refused a home or apartment.
    More than 1 in 10 (11%) have been evicted due to their gender identity.

  3. Homelessness and Discrimination in Housing:
    1 in 5 transgender people has experienced homelessness at some time in their lives because of discrimination or family rejection.
    Transgender people facing homelessness also face discrimination from agencies that should be helping them, with nearly 1 in 3 (29%) reporting being turned away from a shelter.
    1 in 5 transgender people (19%) in the United States has been refused a home or apartment, and more than 1 in 10 (11%) have been evicted because of their gender identity.

  4. HIV/AIDS:
    Transgender people, specifically transgender women of color, are at a higher risk for HIV.
    It's estimated that 1 in 4 Black transgender people in the U.S. live with HIV/AIDS.

  5. Workplace Discrimination:
    Identity documents that don't match a person's presentation of their gender can be a barrier to work and travel. These instances can also expose transgender people to harassment, violence, prejudice, job loss, and more.

  6. Violence:
    Transgender people are often the targets of violent acts.

Read more
Interracial couple embracing at the beach

Current discriminatory events

Understanding and ending the culture of violence

Since 2013 in the U.S., more than 200 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed. Learn about the culture of violence and what we can do to dismantle it.
Learn more
Transgender white woman wearing a Transgender pride flag Transgender white woman wearing a Transgender pride flag

Have you asked personal questions about an individual's body parts - for example, asking a transgender person about their physical journey, hormones, or surgery?

Everybody's body and how they talk about it can be a very personal topic. Especially for individuals who have "transitioned," are in the process of doing so, or do not have the financial means to do so, probing on the specifics of their body parts and medical history can be invasive. If a trans or nonbinary person decides to share their medical history with you, that is their decision.

And remember, sex and gender identity are two separate things: sex is what we are assigned at birth based on medical factors, and gender identity is how a person defines and conceptualizes their own gender (which is internal). It is not necessary to know someone’s sex in order to understand them.
Read more questions to self reflect