Bias & discrimination against trans and nonbinary people

Learn about how implicit bias and explicit discrimination impact trans and nonbinary people.
Transgender woman holding a rainbow heart sign

Understand how bias and inequity impact trans and nonbinary people

In 2022, The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) led the largest survey devoted to the lives and experiences of trans people, by trans people, in the United States.

Learn about the path for trans rights and acceptance


  • Nearly all respondents (94%) who lived in a different gender than the one they were assigned at birth (“gender transition”) reported that they were more satisfied with their life.
  • 98% of respondents who were currently receiving hormone treatment reported that they were more satisfied with their life.
  • Nearly half (47%) of respondents had thought about moving to another state because their state considered or passed anti-trans laws (such as banning access to bathrooms, health care, or sports).

    Read the report

Learn about microaggressions, the quieter way LGBTQ+ people face bias

LGBTQ+ people face unfair treatment daily, and not all of it is obvious or even on purpose. Learn more about unintentional but hurtful assumptions and stereotypes.
Understand microaggressions

Inequities and disparities

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

  1. Nearly one in ten (9%) respondents reported that they were denied equal treatment or service in the last 12 months because of their gender identity or expression.

  2. Nearly one-third (30%) of respondents reported that they were verbally harassed in the last 12 months because of their gender identity or expression.

  3. More than one-quarter of respondents (28%) did not see a doctor when they needed to in the last 12 months due to cost.

  4. More than one in ten (11%) adult respondents who grew up in the same household with family, guardians, or foster parents said that a family member was violent towards them because they were transgender, and 8% were kicked out of the house because they were transgender.

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Interracial couple embracing at the beach

Current discriminatory events

Transgender human rights under attack

A record number of anti-transgender bills threatening trans and nonbinary people’s safety and well-being are being pushed by lawmakers across the country.
Learn about what's happening in your state

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 ever asked personal questions about someone’s body — for example, asking a transgender person about their physical journey, hormones, or surgery?

Your body and yourself — who you are, what you look like, who you’ve been, what you want — is a deeply personal subject. It might feel fair to bring that up with a loved one or even someone you know casually, but especially for trans and nonbinary people, talking about specific body parts or medical history can feel invasive.

Transitioning is a process that is different for everyone and can involve a number of changes including medical and physical, legal, personal, and more. Whether someone has transitioned, is in the process of doing so, or hasn’t started, is very personal. It’s also very personal how someone shares that information. If a trans or nonbinary person decides to share information about their transition with you, that is their decision, and you should respect that and their right to privacy.

It’s important to remember that being trans or nonbinary isn’t determined by physical characteristics or “transitioning” itself, but a lifelong journey of self-discovery and identity. After all, sex and gender identity are two different things. Sex is a characterization based on what we were assigned at birth, and gender identity is a broader way of self-defining and being in the world as a woman, man, nonbinary person, and more.

Read more questions to self reflect