Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionExamplesConsequences
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Examples
Consequences
Transphobia refers to fear and/or hatred oftransgenderpeople and other gender-diverse people. Transphobia can take many forms in the same way as other types of bigotry and oppression.
In addition to affecting individuals, transphobia can be encoded into law with bathroom bills, sports bans, and other forms of legislation designed to oppress transgender people. It also exposes transgender people—particularly transgender women of color—to a high risk of violence.
This article explains what transphobia is and the different forms it can take. It also describes the impact of transphobia on individuals and society, and what you can do to combat discrimination against transgender people.
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Defining Transphobia
Transphobia is strictly defined as a “fear of transgender people.” But many people disapprove of the term because “phobia” suggests a relevant psychological response to something one has no control over.
Instead, many prefer the termtransmisiawhich is broadly defined as an aversion, hatred, or mistrust of people that are transgender. It also describes an insistence to maintain a strictgender binary(male and female, men and women, masculine and feminine).
Where transphobia suggests fear and a defensive posture, transmisia suggests hate and an offensive posture. Both describe attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, or policies that:
Transphobia and transmisia are not consistent across cultures and time. A community’s acceptance of gender-diverse people can vary and is highly dependent on local culture and group identity.
Transgender people, for example, are frequently mentioned in Indian myths and literature from theRamayanatoMahabharata.Other cultures are more inherently hostile, such as Brazil, Mexico, and the United States where one out of every three murders of transgender people take place.
Examples of Transphobia
Transphobia and transmisia can take many forms, affecting people on an individual basis or as a group. These attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors may be overt or subtle.
On an individual basis, transphobia can be expressed in the following ways:
There is also systemic transphobia in the same way as there is systemic racism. This is arguably more insidious as it does not require an overt dislike of transgender people.
From a societal standpoint, systemic transphobia can include:
What Is TERF?
Trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF) is a term that was initially used to describe a group of transphobic radical feminists who held problematic beliefs such as:
In more recent years, “TERF” has been used to describe anyone who holds trans-exclusionary beliefs. The term is largely considered derogatory.
Impact of Transphobia
In 2015, more than 27,000 transgender people in the United States completed a survey on their experiences with discrimination across all facets of their lives.The results revealed that transgender people are frequent targets of transphobia from childhood through old age.
According to the survey, among those who had come out as transgender before graduating high school:
During adulthood, the consequences are no less extreme. According to the survey, employed trans adults report the following workplace issues within the past year:
According to the study:
Impact on Health
Transphobia can have significant effects on an individual’s mental and physical health. These effects can be both direct and indirect. One of the ways in which transphobia affects health is throughminority stress.
Minority stress refers to the difficulty of existing in a society that considers you different, less, or dangerous because you are not part of the majority culture. Transgender minority stress is compounded for transgender and gender-diverse people of color, who may also experience racism in addition to transphobia.
In addition to the direct effects of transphobia on health, transphobia can also affect access to medical care. The National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that almost a quarter of respondents hadn’t visited a doctor because they were afraid they would be mistreated.
What You Can Do
Evidence suggests that knowledge is one of the best ways to fight against transphobia. People who know more about transgender identities are less likely to hold transphobic beliefs.
If faced with an incident of transphobia, it is important to speak up—but to do so appropriately. Make the person aware of their behavior, ideally in a way that encourages them to change rather than dig in their heels. Avoid getting into a heated argument as this may only put the trans person at greater risk of harm.
If needed, walk away. Then stay with the victim until they are in a safe place. Get additional help, including police assistance, if needed.
If a friend or loved one experiences transphobia, talk to them about how they would like you to intervene. For example, if their parent repeatedly misgenders them, your friend may want you to use their affirmed name and pronouns without correcting their parents.
Remember that the way you respond isn’t about you or your preferences. It’s about respecting your friend’s or loved one’s needs and desires.
Transgender Resources
There are resources available for transgender people faced with harassment, discrimination, emotional crisis, family issues, or financial problems, including:
Summary
Transphobia is fear or hatred of transgender people and other gender-diverse people. Also known as transmisia, it can take many forms, including individual slurs, insults, and attacks or institutional discriminations that limit or bar certain rights, liberties, and opportunities afforded to other groups.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nadal KL, Skolnik A, Wong Y.Interpersonal and systemic microaggressions toward transgender people: Implications for counseling.J LGBT Issues Counsel.2012;6(1),:55–82. doi:10.1080/15538605.2012.648583Reuters.Factbox: murders of transgender people rising worldwide - activists.James SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality. 2016.Valentine, SE, Shipherd JC. (2018).A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States.Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;66,24–38. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003Wilson EC, Chen Y-H, Arayasirikul S, Raymond HF, McFarland W.The impact of discrimination on the mental health of trans*female youth and the protective effect of parental support.AIDS and Behavior. 2016;20(10), 2203–2211. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1409-7Lipson SK, Raifman J, Abelson S, Reisner SL.Gender minority mental health in the U.S.: Results of a national survey on college campuses.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2019;57(3), 293–301. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.025Thoma BC, Salk RH, Choukas-Bradley S, Goldstein TR, Levine MD, Marshal MP.Suicidality disparities between transgender and cisgender adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-1183Flores AR.Attitudes toward transgender rights: Perceived knowledge and secondary interpersonal contact.Politics, Groups, and Identities.2015;3(3),398–416. doi:10.1080/21565503.2015.1050414
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Nadal KL, Skolnik A, Wong Y.Interpersonal and systemic microaggressions toward transgender people: Implications for counseling.J LGBT Issues Counsel.2012;6(1),:55–82. doi:10.1080/15538605.2012.648583Reuters.Factbox: murders of transgender people rising worldwide - activists.James SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality. 2016.Valentine, SE, Shipherd JC. (2018).A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States.Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;66,24–38. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003Wilson EC, Chen Y-H, Arayasirikul S, Raymond HF, McFarland W.The impact of discrimination on the mental health of trans*female youth and the protective effect of parental support.AIDS and Behavior. 2016;20(10), 2203–2211. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1409-7Lipson SK, Raifman J, Abelson S, Reisner SL.Gender minority mental health in the U.S.: Results of a national survey on college campuses.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2019;57(3), 293–301. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.025Thoma BC, Salk RH, Choukas-Bradley S, Goldstein TR, Levine MD, Marshal MP.Suicidality disparities between transgender and cisgender adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-1183Flores AR.Attitudes toward transgender rights: Perceived knowledge and secondary interpersonal contact.Politics, Groups, and Identities.2015;3(3),398–416. doi:10.1080/21565503.2015.1050414
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nadal KL, Skolnik A, Wong Y.Interpersonal and systemic microaggressions toward transgender people: Implications for counseling.J LGBT Issues Counsel.2012;6(1),:55–82. doi:10.1080/15538605.2012.648583Reuters.Factbox: murders of transgender people rising worldwide - activists.James SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality. 2016.Valentine, SE, Shipherd JC. (2018).A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States.Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;66,24–38. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003Wilson EC, Chen Y-H, Arayasirikul S, Raymond HF, McFarland W.The impact of discrimination on the mental health of trans*female youth and the protective effect of parental support.AIDS and Behavior. 2016;20(10), 2203–2211. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1409-7Lipson SK, Raifman J, Abelson S, Reisner SL.Gender minority mental health in the U.S.: Results of a national survey on college campuses.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2019;57(3), 293–301. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.025Thoma BC, Salk RH, Choukas-Bradley S, Goldstein TR, Levine MD, Marshal MP.Suicidality disparities between transgender and cisgender adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-1183Flores AR.Attitudes toward transgender rights: Perceived knowledge and secondary interpersonal contact.Politics, Groups, and Identities.2015;3(3),398–416. doi:10.1080/21565503.2015.1050414
Nadal KL, Skolnik A, Wong Y.Interpersonal and systemic microaggressions toward transgender people: Implications for counseling.J LGBT Issues Counsel.2012;6(1),:55–82. doi:10.1080/15538605.2012.648583
Reuters.Factbox: murders of transgender people rising worldwide - activists.
James SE, Herman JL, Rankin S, Keisling M, Mottet M, Anafi M.The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality. 2016.
Valentine, SE, Shipherd JC. (2018).A systematic review of social stress and mental health among transgender and gender non-conforming people in the United States.Clinical Psychology Review. 2018;66,24–38. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2018.03.003
Wilson EC, Chen Y-H, Arayasirikul S, Raymond HF, McFarland W.The impact of discrimination on the mental health of trans*female youth and the protective effect of parental support.AIDS and Behavior. 2016;20(10), 2203–2211. doi:10.1007/s10461-016-1409-7
Lipson SK, Raifman J, Abelson S, Reisner SL.Gender minority mental health in the U.S.: Results of a national survey on college campuses.American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2019;57(3), 293–301. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2019.04.025
Thoma BC, Salk RH, Choukas-Bradley S, Goldstein TR, Levine MD, Marshal MP.Suicidality disparities between transgender and cisgender adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2019-1183
Flores AR.Attitudes toward transgender rights: Perceived knowledge and secondary interpersonal contact.Politics, Groups, and Identities.2015;3(3),398–416. doi:10.1080/21565503.2015.1050414
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