Transgender Realities: The Relationship Between Transgender Visibility, Race, and Victimization

Transgender individuals in the United States face overwhelming systemic oppression as well as high rates of violence and victimization. However, few studies have evaluated how visibly perceived gender non-conformity works as a marker of stigma which may contribute to increased victimization. This is imperative to investigate as experiencing frequent victimization can lead to a host of negative health and life outcomes for trans and non-binary individuals. Thus, it is important to understand the intricacies of transgender victimization to further find and promote mitigating resources. In this study, we examine the possible effects of transphobic victimization. Specifically, we use data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (N = 26,388) to examine how trans visibility is related to verbal harassment, physical abuse, and sexual assault. We also investigate how gender and race intersect to complicate this relationship. Findings show that visibly trans respondents are more likely to experience victimization in terms of verbal harassment, physical abuse, and sexual assault, regardless of gender and race. These analyses provide important insight into the social costs that still exist for individuals who are perceived as straying away from the binary gender system. Implications are provided.