Transgender Discrimination Project

Sponsored by a grant from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Susan Rankin, Principal Investigator

From verbal harassment, to threats of violence, to the destruction of property, to assaults and murder, people who are out or who are perceived as transgender or gender non-conforming often face a hostile social climate. Yet little research has been conducted on the prevalence of different forms of harassment and violence against transgender people. Hate crimes based on gender identity/expression are not even officially counted. The Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 mandated that the United States Justice Department track crimes based on race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation, but not gender or gender identity. Information on anti-transgender harassment and violence is also limited because the federal government does not recognize transgender people in anti-discrimination laws, nor do most states. Currently, only 13 states and the District of Columbia have laws protecting people based on their gender identity/expression. The reluctance of transgender people to report harassment and violence is indicative of the extent of discrimination and stigma against individuals who are gender non-conforming, as well as a lack of knowledge and understanding of transgender issues by law enforcement officials and some social and public service organizations. The purpose of the project is to document transgender people's experiences of discrimination in housing, employment, health care and education.