Our Tomorrow: Trans issues top the list of issues on the minds of LBGTQ Americans
By Nicholle Manners
With the recent rise to fame of actress Laverne Cox and public transition of reality television star Caitlyn Jenner, the lives of transgender people appear to have been catapulted onto the national stage — causing many Americans to think about issues of gender identity and expression for the very first time, and sparking a long overdue discussion in our society.
The corresponding media frenzy has helped raise awareness of the unique issues that impact trans* people and highlight a diverse chorus of trailblazers who paved the way for acceptance before many Americans realized the issues at stake.
Yet, leaders in the LGBTQ movement have long fought for the diverse issues facing trans* people — from discrimination in the workplace and among health care providers to policing and housing — to be recognized and remedied.
Until recently, these issues remained at the fringes of both society and the movement.
That’s why it was so heartening to see that the hopes, fears and ideas shared over the course of Our Tomorrow, a campaign that engaged LGBTQ people across the country in a conversation about their future, often focused on trans* issues. “Trans*” was among the top three most frequently mentioned terms in the hopes, fears and ideas submitted by LGBTQ people across the country.
What’s more, trans* issues were prominent not just in submissions from those who identified as trans*. Only 43% of participants whose submissions explicitly mentioned trans* issues identified as trans*, gender non-conforming or gender-fluid.
Below is a snapshot from the report, showing those terms most frequently mentioned in hopes, fears and ideas concerning trans* issues. Researchers trained in linguistic analysis identified related terms and grouped them into the categories below, based on how they were used in the conversation.
Although much of the public conversation about trans issues has been limited to gender-neutral bathroom debates, participants described a range of topics concerning trans* people — including education, health care, policing and violence, especially for trans people of color, trans youth and trans women of color.
People expressed their hopes for equality, acceptance and inclusion of transgender people in society. Many felt that growing acknowledgement of trans people in both the movement and society paved the way for real progress.
For example, a participant from California said her hope is “that the current trend towards public acceptance of the trans community continues until I no longer have to worry constantly about the safety of my [trans] daughter when she is in public, when I think about her future ventures in dating, higher education, friendships, medical and law enforcement encounters, and whatever career she chooses.”
By contrast, many feared the movement might fail to move on from the marriage equality debate to take on the double threats of violence and suicide facing trans people.
Ideas covered calls to broaden the focus of the movement, improve representation of trans people in the media and address issues affecting trans youth (homelessness, bullying, etc.), as well as education and legal change.
Altogether, the submissions make clear that participants in the Our Tomorrow Campaign agree that a better tomorrow depends on tackling the many complex challenges facing trans* people today. And those issues go far beyond the bathroom.
Nicholle Manners served as the lead analyst for the Our Tomorrow campaign.
