Transgender People: Meaning, Differences, and Rights

This paper discusses issues that are related to Transgender people. The term transgender describes transsexuals and transvestites, which refers to gender identification rather than sexual orientation. Some of the challenges experienced by transgender people include workplace discrimination, poverty, stigma, and Harassment.

Running head: TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 1
Transgender People
Name
Institution

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 2
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
Introduction
As the community begins to slowly accept the rights of the different queer community,
for example, protective laws and marriage equality, the rights of the transgender remain more of
an issue, even though much greater improvement is still needed. In the contemporary world of
gender binaries and roles, being referred merely as ‘other’ has contributed to different problems
for the community of the transgender, such as exclusion from gender sport, lack of recognition
more so in institutions and workplace discrimination (McCann & Sharek, 2016). The group that
this paper will discuss is transgender people. The term transgender describes transsexuals and
transvestites, which refers to gender identification rather than sexual orientation (Testa et al.
2017). Transgender are people whose gender expressions or gender identities contrast with
traditional social expectations and norms. The first part of this paper describes the meaning of
transgender people. The second part illustrates the difference between intersexual and
transgender people. The third part also discusses rights that the transgender people enjoy. In
short, this paper will discuss in detail issues that relate to Transgender people.
Transgender is a term that describes individuals whose gender expression and identity
contrast with the sex they were apportioned at birth (Winter et al. 2016). For instance, a
transgender person can be named as a woman in spite of having been born with genitalia of male.
When we’re born in the hospital, a doctor normally says that we’re female or male based on the
physical characteristics of our bodies. Most individuals who were categorized as male at birth are
named called men; on the other hand, most individuals who were categorized as female at birth
are called women. But some individuals’ gender identity differs from what was originally
expected of them at birth. Most of these individuals define themselves as transgender. Gender
identity refers to an individual’s internal sense of being a man or a woman for some individuals,

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 3
their gender identity differs with the two choices. Therefore, for transgender individuals, the sex
they were allocated at birth, as well as their internal gender identity, is not the same. Today,
transgender women live as women but were classified as males when they were born. Currently,
transgender men live as men but were named as females when they were born. Individuals in the
transgender group may define themselves using a variety of terms, such as transsexual,
transgender, as well as non-binary. According to some researchers, almost seven hundred
thousand adults in the US identify as transgender.
The difference between intersexual and transgender people is that individuals who
recognize as transgender are normally individuals who are given birth with typical female or
male anatomies but like having the wrong body (Grey & Janus, 2018). For instance, an
individual who recognizes as transgender may possess typical female anatomy but they may feel
like being male and try to change to male by taking hormones. On the other hand, individuals
who have intersexual conditions possess anatomy that is not typically female or female. Most
individuals with conditions of intersex attend to medical attention since parents or doctors notice
something unique about their bodies (Liang et al. 2017). For the transgender people, the sex they
were allocated at birth, as well as their internal gender identity, is not the same. Therefore
Intersex refers to individuals born with reproductive qualities or physical sexual that differ with
the binary female/male distinction.
Transgender people enjoy different rights. For example, in the United State, the president
issued an order preventing discrimination against gender individuals in the workplace (Flores et
al. 2018). This means that transgender people have similar rights to other employees. They
should never be discriminated in the workplace. The transgender people should get EEO (Equal
Employment Opportunity). Therefore, transgender people have an equal right to employment

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 4
opportunity like the other employees in the organizations. The Department of Justice and
education also issued a letter to various schools that protect both gender identity as well as
transgender students. This law gives transgender individuals the right to education. In the United
State, the Supreme Court ruled that individuals of same-sex have right to marry; the ruling gave
transgender individuals the right to marry (Operario, & Nemoto, 2017). This law prohibits sex
discrimination illegal more so in schools. The law also indicated that the sex of a person, whether
recognized following transition or allocated at birth, should not be used to find out the eligibility
to marry. Transgender people also have the same right to accessing health insurance coverage
like other people (Thomas et al. 2017). This means that they should be allowed to select to
participate in the health insurance plan of their employers. Therefore, transgender people have a
right to getting better health care.
Transgender community comes from different walks of life. They are moms and dads,
sisters and brothers, daughters and sons. They are your coworkers, as well as our neighbors.
They are six-year-old children as well as sixty-year-old grandparents (Reisner, Keatley & Baral,
2016). They remain a diverse community, signifying all ethnic and racial background, and faith
backgrounds.
Some researchers indicated that GCT (Gender Confirming Treatment) can positively
influence sexual feelings, specifically female to male people; body satisfaction may perform an
even greater role. People without a Gender Confirming Treatment desire may encounter specific
problems in their own sexual experiences. Transgender people sometimes encounter some
challenges to their own sexual experiences, for example, their sexual feelings as well as sexual
behavior. After all, most researchers also argue that being transgender is linked to body image
and identity. Also, some transgender persons who undergo surgery and/or hormonal therapy may

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 5
alter sex characteristics and endocrine system. These, in turn, may affect their life’s quality.
However, it is true that most of the transgender people live happily and relate well with most of
the people in the society. They should be allowed to enjoy the same right as other people in the
community. The government should ensure protect the right of transgender people as stated in
the constitution.
Whereas the visibility of transgender individuals is increasing at a high rate in popular
culture as well as daily life, society still encounter severe stigma, systemic inequality, and
discrimination. Some of the challenges facing the transgender people or community are:
Legal protection- There is no comprehensive discrimination law that prohibits gender
discrimination. Some researchers stated that only a few countries prohibit housing and
employment discrimination based on gender expression and identity. Human rights in 2014
indicated that only seventeen States, as well as the District of Columbia, ban discrimination
based on gender expression and identity, especially in public accommodation. Therefore, it is
true that there is no well-defined law that prohibits gender discrimination. Transgender students
also encounter an array of discrimination mostly in schools, for example, they are being assigned
their own bathroom.
Poverty- Lack of legal protection turns into lack of enough jobs for transgender
individuals. Research conducted by most researchers indicated that a larger percentage of the
transgender people were living in abject poverty. In the United Stage, the percentage of people
living in severe poverty is high in areas where there are Black people.
Stigma and Harassment- Many researchers affirm that transgender people still face
stigma and Harassment (Knutson et al. 2016). Most of the transgender people are being
characterized as socially deviant, mentally ill as well as sexually predatory. Although the

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 6
negative views have faded in current years for gay men and Lesbians, transgender individuals
still encounter difficulties in the community that does not understand them. Also, most of the
friends, coworkers, and families reject transgender people.
Barriers to healthcare- According to most researchers, a healthcare system provided by
the United States government does not meet the requirements of the transgender people (Quinn
et al. 2017). Most of them experience difficulties in accessing healthcare services (Seelman et al.
2017). Some of the medical professionals also do not offer treatment to them due to
discrimination based on gender expression and identity.
Identity Documents- Most of the transgender people lack accurate identity documents
and this mostly affected their daily lives. Most of them cannot access public services or
emergency housing because they lack accurate identity documents. It is also true that without
identification, an individual cannot travel and access many essential services in the society such
as register for school.
Political affiliation refers to the state of endorsing or belonging to any organization or
political party or participating in political activities. Transgender people still encounter
difficulties in the political ground. One of the difficulties is access to identification cards, such as
a driver’s passport or license, with a properly updated gender maker. Research also indicated that
most of the transgender people do not participate in the general election because of the threat of
discrimination which created a fear of voting to some transgender people. Some of the
transgender people avoid participating in the election because they do not want to be harassed by
election officials.
Conclusion

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 7
This paper discussed issues that are related to Transgender people. The term transgender
describes transsexuals and transvestites, which refers to gender identification rather than sexual
orientation. Some of the challenges experienced by transgender people include workplace
discrimination, poverty, stigma, and Harassment.

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 8
References
Flores, A. R., Haider‐Markel, D. P., Lewis, D. C., Miller, P. R., Tadlock, B. L., & Taylor, J. K.
(2018). Challenged expectations: Mere exposure effects on attitudes about transgender
people and rights. Political Psychology, 39(1), 197-216.
Grey, M., & Janus, I. (2018). Improving interactions between transgender and other gender-
diverse persons and the healthcare system. FEATURE: Manifesto à la mode (p. 2), 18.
Knutson, D., Koch, J. M., Arthur, T., Mitchell, T. A., & Martyr, M. A. (2016). " Trans broken
arm": Health care stories from transgender people in rural areas. Journal of Research on
Women and Gender, 7, 30-46.
Liang, J. J., Gardner, I. H., Walker, J. A., & Safer, J. D. (2017). Observed deficiencies in medical
student knowledge of transgender and intersex health. Endocrine Practice, 23(8), 897-
906.
McCann, E., & Sharek, D. (2016). Mental health needs of people who identify as transgender: A
review of the literature. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 30(2), 280-285.
Operario, D., & Nemoto, T. (2017). On being transnational and transgender: human rights and
public health considerations.
Quinn, V. P., Nash, R., Hunkeler, E., Contreras, R., Cromwell, L., Becerra-Culqui, T. A., ... &
Robinson, B. (2017). Cohort profile: Study of Transition, Outcomes and Gender
(STRONG) to assess health status of transgender people. BMJ open, 7(12), e018121.
Reisner, S., Keatley, J., & Baral, S. (2016). Transgender community voices: a participatory
population perspective. The Lancet, 388(10042), 327-330.

TRANSGENDER PEOPLE 9
Seelman, K. L., Lewinson, T., Engleman, L., Maley, O. R., & Allen, A. (2017). Coping
strategies used by LGB older adults in facing and anticipating health challenges: A
narrative analysis. Journal of gay & lesbian social services, 29(3), 300-318.
Testa, R. J., Michaels, M. S., Bliss, W., Rogers, M. L., Balsam, K. F., & Joiner, T. (2017).
Suicidal ideation in transgender people: Gender minority stress and interpersonal theory
factors. Journal of abnormal psychology, 126(1), 125.
Thomas, R., Pega, F., Khosla, R., Verster, A., Hana, T., & Say, L. (2017). Ensuring an inclusive
global health agenda for transgender people. Bulletin of the World Health
Organization, 95(2), 154.
Winter, S., Diamond, M., Green, J., Karasic, D., Reed, T., Whittle, S., & Wylie, K. (2016).
Transgender people: health at the margins of society. The Lancet, 388(10042), 390-400.