Transgender Basics 

Those unfamiliar with the basics of both transgender and LGBT communities might not fully understand what exactly is at stake that NTAC is fighting for. Here is a transgender primer, to give you an idea of the transgender community, the pertinent issues, and its important events.

The “Definition” of Transgender

Different people disagree on the details of what exactly it means to be transgender. The general idea is this: a transgender person is any individual who finds themselves left out of society’s usual gender roles. The term “transgender” does not necessarily invoke any particular sexual orientation. Transgender people may identify as gay, straight, bisexual, or anywhere in-between.

One particular type of transgender are individuals who feel that their assigned sex (physical gender) does not match their gender identity. Others feel that neither gender accurately describes their identity, and do not wish to be placed into either gender category.

In short, “transgender” is a wide term that describes many types of people who are not satisfied with society’s strict definitions of gender and who do not accept a simple two-gender categorization.

Basic Issues

There are several important legal and social issues that are of direct consequence to transgender people in America. Here is a basic run-down of those issues, and their impacts on gender variant people. (thetaskforce.org)

Relationship Recognition

Relationship and marriage recognition laws are made on the state level, and most states in the U.S. do not have relationship laws that encompass same-sex couples. Since a subset of transgender people also identify as gay, this is an important issue in the transgender community, as well as the broader LGBT advocacy scene. Marriage laws afford special rights and responsibilities to married couples, and same-sex transgender couples are missing out on these benefits and rights. (taskforce.org)

Foster Care and Adoption

Several states limit who may care for foster children to married couples (these states also only allow opposite-sex marriage). Several states also ban the adoption of children by homosexual parents, or they allow adoption agents to discriminate based on religious or moral grounds. (taskforce.org)

Hate Crimes

A total of twenty states do not have hate crime laws based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Five states don’t have any hate crime laws at all, while fifteen do not allow sexual or gender identity to be used as the basis of a hate crime in court. (taskforce.org)

Sexual Discrimination

Sexual discrimination in daily life is a fact that many gender variant people face. Only thirteen states and the District of Columbia ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in any facet of life, like employment or housing. Eight states have laws banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, but not gender expression. (taskforce.org)

Important Transgender Events

  • Transgender Day of Remembrance: This annual event recognizes those who have lost their lives due to transgender prejudice or hatred. The day began to memorialize Rita Hester, a transgender woman murdered on November 28, 1988. The vigils held on the annual day of remembrance bring media attention to transgender issues, express love for those lost, and create solidarity within the gender variant community.
  • Be-All Conference: This transgender conference has been running for twenty-eight years, and has taken place in Chicago for the last nine. The five day conference has keynote speakers, professional seminars, and excursions into the Chicago area. The event is meant to be empowering and to allow transgender individuals to meet one another and generally have a good time.
  • Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference: This annual conference is specifically for healthcare providers who want to be specially equipped to target the needs of transgender people and the larger LGBT community. The conference has been meeting for ten years and focuses on topics like primary medical care, legal services, mental health counseling, and HIV prevention services.