"Hey Nick," my brother asked the other day, "why do you go around telling people that you're gender fluid? Do you really have to tell everyone?"
"Well, yes." I responded.
"Why? Why do you have to be so out there?"
I get this a lot from him. He's still young, so I understand how he still doesn't really grasp how being trans* has affected my life other than the fact that he can't tell our mom and dad about my being trans*. But he's not the only person out there who doesn't get it. Being trans* has a huge impact on how you live your life. Cis people don't realize that the things they take for granted become a lot harder to do or access when someone's trans*.
Bathrooms: Do you have any idea how difficult it is to use the bathroom as a trans* person? There's always a fear that you will be thrown out of the bathroom because you "don't look like a man/woman." In some places, there are gender-neutral bathrooms. However, my school doesn't have any. Well, there's one, but it's in the nurses office which is away from most classrooms. Some days I walk up to the bathrooms at my school, look left towards the boys bathroom, look right towards the girls bathroom, and then turn around and head back to class. Why? It may not be safe for me to use either of them. The girls could scream and try to kick me out. The guys could try to beat me up. While that probably wouldn't happen at my school, I'd rather not take the risk.
Getting a Job: There is still a lot of discrimination in the workplace against people in the LGBTQ community. It becomes much harder to find a job if you're open about your sexual/gender orientation. In some parts of the country, yes the U.S., it is legal for someone to deny you a job or even fire you because you are transgender. 97% of trans* people have been mistreated at work because they are trans*. Also, the unemployment rate for trans* people is double the national average. They can't get jobs or are fired simply because of who they are.
Housing: Just like in the workforce, there are a lot of trans* people who can't find proper housing because they are trans* According to the National transgender Center for Equality, about 19% of trans* people have experienced homelessness. That is much higher than it should be. 19% of trans* people have also been denied housing because they are out. People should not have to hide who they are just so they can get some decent housing.
Medical Care: This one may seem odd, but it is a real issue. About 50% of trans* people often have to educate their own doctors on what being transgender is and what it means for their health (NCTE). I know I've had to educate some people I really shouldn't have had to simply because they're doctors and they should know at least the basics. Also, many trans* people are denied medical care because of their trans* status. 19% of trans* people report being denied medical treatment because of their trans* status.
Despite what people say about America being a nation of liberty and justice for all, it really is a nation of cisgender privilege. No one should be denied any right given to an American citizen simply because their gender doesn't match their sex. However, this kind of discrimination happens every day in the United States. So much for being the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Sorry this was a heavy one today. I just felt like I needed to say this. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for topics for me to write about, post them in the comments section below. Thanks, and I'll see you soon.
Lots of love,
Nick
P.S.: All statistics come from the National Transgender Center Center for Equality. To see their full website, click here: http://transequality.org/index.html
To see their page of statistics, click here: http://transequality.org/PDFs/Executive_Summary.pdf
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