Chris Leigh

5/2/17

Mrs. Lutter

English 101

Essay 4

The fight against discrimination has been a battle that has been waged for centuries. This

is certainly an endeavor that most people can sympathize with. We all know what it is like to feel

isolated; to be shunned by a group for various reasons, and its certainly no better for people

rejected because of their race or sexual orientation. One new battle that has emerged on the

horizon in recent years is transgender discrimination. This issue has always been a tough subject,

but with awareness by the general public increasing, trans rights are finally starting to gain some

traction. This is important, as transgendered individuals are at really high risks for things such as

bigotry, prejudice, and eventually suicide, more so than probably any other demographic today.

This journey still has quite a long way to go, however. I believe this is something that needs to

be addressed, not just because of what I have researched, but also of what I have seen from

personal experience. One of my closest friends is trans, and even though she lives in an area

considered fairly progressive, it is still quite a struggle for her. I believe that the affirmation of

transgender peoples identities, both medically and socially, is a crucial part in helping to end

this chapter of the war.

An identity is a core part of who we are, and when that identity is denied by the people

around us it can feel crushing. It is no different for transgender people, yet they have a much

harder time having their identity be accepted. Despite the progress we have made with equality
in other areas, transgender inequality is still very prevalent. Studies have shown that transgender

individuals experience unemployment at twice the rate of the general population (Bailey 196)

and generally make a lot less than their cisgender counterparts. Even when they do get hired they

find 90% of transgender workers have encountered some form of harassment or mistreatment

on the job or took actions to avoid it (Bailey 196). To make matters worse, most health care

plans have trans exclusions, meaning that they would have to pay out of pocket for medical

treatment, considered by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH

for short) to be medically necessary, with their already low paying incomes. So far 15 states and

DC (Keith) have passed laws that prohibit these trans exclusions from private health care plans.

As far as government funded health care goes, the Affordable Care Act currently protects all

transgender individuals from discrimination, however, with Trump and the other republicans

trying to replace it, this may not last for long.

The facts shown by these statistics are incredibly important. Being unable to have access

to the health care necessary, combined with being unable to support themselves financially, is a

major contributor to the incredibly high suicide rate among transgender individuals. It is found

that Fortyone percent of the transgender persons in the United States attempt for suicide at

least once in their life (Virupaksha 506). Compared to the suicide attempt rate of around 4.6%

for the general population, and 20% for gays and lesbians, this is extremely concerning. There

are a few ways to help combat this though. One study found that 80% of transgender people

who underwent sex reassignment that included hormonal therapies reported significant

improvement in quality of life (Murad). This alone, however, is not enough as it wont resolve

the effects of crushing social oppression: social anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress
(Williams). It is still highly recommended for transgender individuals to seek therapy, and

having support from family and friends in their decision is found to be general protective factor

which is associated with reduced risk for lifetime suicide attempts among transgender persons

(Virupaksha 506).

So why havent we already solved this dilemma? Well its mostly because there is still a

great deal of social stigma surrounding the issue. I believe that awareness on the topic could

alleviate a lot of this, but unfortunately there is an abundance of misinformation out there. The

main opponents of the trans movement consider transgender a mental disorder. They believe that

the reason suicide rates are so high is due to the fact that transgenderism is inherently a mental

disease. To them, allowing transgender individuals access to the health care and supportive

therapy they need is like letting an alcoholic freely indulge in drinking. One of the very common

studies used by trans opponents to support their claims is actually misinterpreted. As an example,

this article said Consider the findings of a 2011 Swedish study. It looked at mortality and

morbidity after gender reassignment surgery and found that people who changed genders had a

higher risk of suicide (Heyer). The actual swedish study, however, explicitly states that,

although transgender people who underwent sex reassignment still had higher rates of suicide

than the general populace, the procedure did help alleviate gender dysphoria (Dhejne). There was

even an interview with the person who conducted the study. When asked about whether he knew

how his study was being misused, Dr. Dhejne responded Yes! Its very frustrating! Ive even

seen professors use my work to support ridiculous claims. Ive often had to respond myself by

commenting on articles, speaking with journalists, and talking about this problem at

conferences (Williams).
 With most of the opponents for transgender rights backing up their claims with false

information and outdated studies, it is a little hard to find a valid opposing perspective on the

issue. Throughout my research, however, I have come across a few points that may be cause for

concern. WPATH has found from multiple studies conducted, that gender dysphoria in children

only persists into adulthood 6-23% of the time. Gender dysphoria formed in adolescents,

however, have a significantly higher percentage, so it is generally advised that most young

individuals who believe they are trans wait until they are 16 to decide. During this waiting

duration, most children are put on puberty blockers, which brings me to the second point of

concern. It is currently unknown how safe the use of these puberty blockers are. It is possible

that the delay of puberty could stunt a childs mental development or put them at risk for bone

development problems, but further research will need to be done.

Its pretty clear that transgender people arent in the best predicament, but I do believe

that, with the statistics and research Ive shown here, its possible to change this for the better. It

will be hard, but even if we were to just take some small steps, like help spread awareness, we

could really get the issue pointed in the right direction. This would be especially important for

the families of trans individuals, as their acceptance or rejection can have one of the largest

impacts on them. Helping to shed some light on the subject really could help save lives. This,

combined with protesting against the removal of the Affordable Care Act or voting on state

propositions that help to secure transgender access to health care, could make the lives of

millions better, in ways that seem very plausible to do. With this knowledge I hope people will

be able to at least sympathize. Ignorance may be bliss for you, but it can be agony for others.
Works Cited

Bailey, Matthew. "Transgender Workplace Discrimination in the Age of Gender Dysphoria and

Enda." Law & Psychology Review, vol. 38, 2013/2014, pp. 193-210. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com.montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=9

7431668&site=eds-live&scope=site.

Dhejne C, Lichtenstein P, Boman M, Johansson ALV, Lngstrm N, Landn M (2011)

Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort

Study in Sweden. PLoS ONE 6(2): e16885. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0016885

Heyer, Walt. Transgender Regret Is Real Even If The Media Says Otherwise. The Federalist,

19 Aug. 2015,

thefederalist.com/2015/08/19/transgender-regret-is-real-even-if-the-media-tell-you-otherwise/.

Accessed 2 May 2017.

Keith, Katie. 15 States and DC Now Prohibit Transgender Insurance Exclusions. Center on

Health Insurance Reforms, 29 Mar. 2016,

chirblog.org/15-states-and-dc-now-prohibit-transgender-insurance-exclusions/. Accessed 2 May

2017.
Murad, M. H., Elamin, M. B., Garcia, M. Z., Mullan, R. J., Murad, A., Erwin, P. J. and Montori,

V. M. (2010), Hormonal therapy and sex reassignment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of

quality of life and psychosocial outcomes. Clinical Endocrinology, 72: 214231.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.2009.03625.x

Williams, Cristan. Fact check: study shows transition makes trans people suicidal. The

TransAdvocate, 20 May 2016,

transadvocate.com/fact-check-study-shows-transition-makes-trans-people-suicidal_n_15483.htm

. Accessed 2 May 2017.

Virupaksha, H. G., et al. "Suicide and Suicidal Behavior among Transgender Persons." Indian

Journal of Psychological Medicine, vol. 38, no. 6, Nov/Dec2016, p. 505. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com.montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=1

20140291&site=eds-live&scope=site.