Transgender Discrimination In The United States

Transgender is when the body you are born into does not match the biological sex you are born with. The cause of being transgender is still unknown, but biologically it has been proven that there are differences between transgender people and those whose gender identity match their biological sex. In the first eight weeks of pregnancy all fetuses look the same until testosterone surges come along. It is possible that this surge of testosterone, or the lack thereof, could play a role in gender identity (Goldberg and Adriano.) The lack of public knowledge leads to confusion and insensitivity towards the transgender community. This grey area is apparent in the business world, the legal system, and everyday lives have an impact of the experience

Transgender people often face problems finding or keeping a job, which lead to financial difficulties. Holes in the legal system often leave transgender people vulnerable to discrimination. Title VII is the anti-discrimination federal law that protects against discrimination. However, Title VII is only applicable to discrimination at the workplace (Kozlowski). Companies do not have the right to deny or end an employment because of gender. Eastern Airlines was sued for firing a transexual female. A statement from Eastern says, “[I]f Eastern did discriminate against Ulane, it was not because she is female, but because Ulane is a transsexual—a

Parents of transgender children describe their children as “depressed” and “suicidal”, especially at the onset of puberty (Riley). It is not uncommon for transgender children to grow up hating their bodies, which often has destructive consequences (Goldberg and Adriano ). The suicide and self harm rate are much higher among transgender children than those who are not. Compared to the rest of the population the attempted suicide rate is much higher. When surveyed, 41% of the transgenders asked reported attempting suicide as compared to the non transgendered people at 1.6% (Levasseur 949). For many transgender Americans,living a double live is a reality. They are only accepted as their gender identity at home and are forced to act as their biological gender in public, for example( Linthicum). This pressure can lead to stress. John Blosnich and his researchers concluded that transgender veterans living in more accepting and informed areas produced more mentally stable veterans. An educated public closes the gap between the transgender community and the rest of socitey. Defining sex can leave transgender people feeling excluded from everyday activities. It is evident that we have clear cut definitions of what it means to be a girl or boy. From the day a baby is born parents they are surrounded by pink or blue. Transgender people do not match this societal definition of gender, leaving harmful