Transgender and Nonbinary People


Transgender and Nonbinary (TGNB) people are individuals whose gender identity and expression are different from the cisgender norms most commonly-accepted in our society. TGNB is an umbrella phrase which references a diversity of nuanced human identities, including: Transgender, Nonbinary, Intersex, Genderqueer, Gender Non-Conforming (GNC), Two Spirit, Agender, Bigender, Gender Fluid, Gender Flux, Questioning, and many more. TGNB is often used interchangeably with the terms gender expansive, trans*, and non-cisgender.


For Transgender and Nonbinary people whose gender, name, and pronouns assigned at birth aren’t reflective of who they are, the single moment of gender assignment sparks a life-long battle for inclusion, respect, and belonging. TGNB people belong everywhere and deserve to feel that they belong. They deserve autonomy to live open, authentic lives without fear of discrimination, harassment, judgement, or violence.


Despite decades of tireless advocacy, TGNB people are still significantly more likely than their cisgender peers to experience violence (50% of transgender people have been sexually assaulted), harassment (53% of transgender people have experienced public harassment), and discrimination (90% of transgender people have experienced mistreatment or discrimination in their workplaces). These disparities are often further compounded by isolation, discriminatory laws, and a lack of access to appropriate primary and mental health care. Transgender and nonbinary people who are femme, disabled, queer, and/or of color—especially trans women of color—are most disproportionately impacted.


Many factors—both historical and contemporary—contribute to and perpetuate these harsh disparities. Prior to American colonization, more than 150 Indigenous tribal nations acknowledged other or “third” genders. By the mid-1800’s, however, it was illegal to be transgender or even to wear clothes that did not match one’s assigned gender in public. Historically, gender expansive people were subject to therapies to “cure” them, and Two Spirit people were systematically persecuted and erased. Today, some laws have changed, but some still remain. For example, TGNB are still required in many states to undergo invasive (often sterilizing) surgeries in order to legally change their gender on identification documents, and intersex people are still forced to endure non-consensual gender reassignment surgery as infants or children.


The lack of consistent legal protections regarding gender identity and expression creates barriers to improving TGNB health. Decisions and policies that impact the well-being of gender expansive people—like appropriate use of force by law enforcement, bathroom rights, businesses’ rights to refuse service, identity document laws, and transgender healthcare standards—vary by state and local jurisdiction. When layered with similar lack of protections against racial injustice, the risks are even more significant for TGNB people of color. White transgender people are twice as likely as cisgender people to be unemployed due to discrimination, but transgender people of color are four times more likely.


The TGNB community advocates for trans workers’ rights and access to public bathrooms, and against police violence and anti-trans healthcare legislation. At scale, we can advance TGNB health by advocating for policies and laws that protect transgender and nonbinary people at home, at work, and in public, regardless of their state or local jurisdiction. Local communities can support TGNB businesses, create safe spaces for TGNB youth, push for EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) trainings, and advocate for policies that protect TGNB people from violence, harassment, and discrimination in all aspects of their lives. Because transgender and nonbinary peoples’ health is intrinsically tied to their ability to express their gender, we can also participate in improving TGNB health by using correct pronouns, chosen names, and gender-affirming language. Even small actions can foster belonging and be life-saving.


      

Resources & Tools


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Priority Populations Channel
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Community Commons
Staff Pick!
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Taking Action to End Gun Violence: Our Top Tools, Resources, Stories, and Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
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Beyond Allyship: Leveraging Activism Tools to Improve Transgender and Nonbinary Health
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 01/26/2022
Illustration of six people standing side-by-side, each with a different color shirt (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple) and their pronouns written across their chest.
Beyond Inclusion: Pronoun Use for Health and Well-Being
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Photo of a person with dark skin holding two stacks of gold coins. One stack is half the size of the other stack.
The Growing Gap: Gender Pay Equity, Meaningful Work, and Wealth during COVID-19
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screen grab of Affirming Primary Care for Intersex People
Affirming Primary Care for Intersex People 2020
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center
Screen capture of Trans Health Project - Medicaid Regulations And Guidance
Trans Health Project - Medicaid Regulations And Guidance
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
Shutterstock image: LGBTQI Trauma and Internalized Shame
LGBTQI Trauma and Internalized Shame
Resource - Website/webpage
PDF Cover: Blueprint for Positive Change 2020
Blueprint for Positive Change 2020
Resource - Policy Brief
Screenshot of webpage: Talking about Pronouns in the Workplace
Talking about Pronouns in the Workplace
Resource - Guide/handbook
Cover page of Inclusive Bathroom Signage Recommendations document
Inclusive Bathroom Signage Recommendations
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by State of Washington Office of Financial Management
Screenshot of webpage: Transgender Workplace Rights on Lambda Legal website
Transgender Workplace Rights
Resource - Website/webpage
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NIH Style Guide
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by NIH
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In Common Newsletter: Tribal Health
Resource
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 06/02/2022
Screenshot of website cover: LGBT Foundation: Evidence Exchange
LGBT Foundation: Evidence Exchange
Resource - Website/webpage
PDF Cover: Queer Reproductive Justice
Queer Reproductive Justice?
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Elsevier, Inc.
Screenshot of webpage: Model Local Education Agency Policy on Transgender and Nonbinary Students
Model Local Education Agency Policy on Transgender and Nonbinary Students
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by GLSEN
PDF Cover: LGBTQ-Inclusive Data Collection: A Lifesaving Imperative
LGBTQ-Inclusive Data Collection: A Lifesaving Imperative
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Human Rights Campaign
Screen capture of Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care
Get the Facts on Gender-Affirming Care
Resource - Website/webpage
Screenshot of webpage: Transgender Public Accommodations and Rights on National Center for Transgender Equality website
Transgender Public Accommodations and Rights
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by National Center for Transgender Equality
PDF Cover: Autism Spectrum Disorders in Gender Dysphoric Children and Adolescents
Autism Spectrum Disorders in Gender Dysphoric Children and Adolescents
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Springer
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GLSEN Pronoun Guide
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by GLSEN
Screenshot of website cover page: LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center
LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center
Resource - Website/webpage
Screenshot of article photo: LGBTQ Health: The Data Trail
LGBTQ Health: The Data Trail
Resource - Journal Article
Screen capture of Protecting Transgender Rights to Ensure Health Equity for All blog post
Protecting Transgender Rights to Ensure Health Equity for All
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by HealthBegins
Cover page of Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity
Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity
Resource - Report
Brought to you by National Science and Technology Council
Screenshot of webpage on Lambda Legal website: Transgender Incarcerated People in Crisis
Transgender Incarcerated People in Crisis
Resource - Website/webpage
Screenshot of PDF Fact Sheet Cover: Transgender People and Bathroom Access
Transgender People and Bathroom Access
Resource - Fact Sheet
Brought to you by National Center for Transgender Equality
Screenshot of webpage: Know Your Rights: LGBTQ Rights
Know Your Rights: LGBTQ Rights
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by ACLU
PDF Cover: LGBT Data Collection
LGBT Data Collection
Resource
Brought to you by Center for American Progress
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BIPOC? Latinx? Here's How to Describe People Accurately
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by NPR
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Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ Identities: Today and Centuries Ago
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by Human Rights Campaign
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Informed Consent Model for Gender Affirming Hormone Therapy
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Screenshot of Searchable LGBTQ Resource Database webpage
Searchable LGBTQ Resource Database
Resource - Website/webpage
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Protecting and Advancing Health Care for Transgender Adult Communities
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Center for American Progress
Screen capture of How Dressing in Drag Was Labeled a Crime in the 20th Century article
How Dressing in Drag Was Labeled a Crime in the 20th Century
Story - Written
Brought to you by A&E Television Networks, LLC.
Published on 06/25/2019
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The Trans Community of Christopher Street
Story - Written
Brought to you by TNY
Screen capture of The Anti-Trans Panic Is Rooted in White Supremacist Ideology article.
The Anti-Trans Panic Is Rooted in White Supremacist Ideology
Story - Written
Brought to you by Truthout
Published on 05/19/2023
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Two Spirits
Story - Video
Screen capture of Sylvia Rivera
Sylvia Rivera
Story - Written
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LGBTQ+ People and Identity-Based Stress
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
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Taking Action for Reproductive Justice: Our Favorite Tools, Resources, and Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
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Disability Justice Is LGBT Justice: A Conversation With Movement Leaders
Story - Audio
Brought to you by Center for American Progress
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Counting All in Our Communities: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
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The Anti-Drag Bills Sweeping the U.S. Are Straight From History's Playbook
Story - Written
Brought to you by NPR
Published on 03/06/2023
On Being Podcast Page
Transgender Amid Orthodoxy: I Am Who I Will Be
Story - Audio
Brought to you by On Being
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Taking Action for Trans Rights: Our Favorite Tools, Resources, and Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
Screenshot of cover photo: LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Index 2022
Healthcare Equality Index 2022
Tool - Data/mapping Tool
Screen capture of Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State webpage
Snapshot: LGBTQ Equality by State
Tool - Data/mapping Tool
Screenshot of cover logo: American Values Atlas
American Values Atlas
Tool - Data/mapping Tool
Screenshot of website cover: LGBT Data and Demographics
LGBT Data and Demographics
Tool - Data/mapping Tool
Screenshot of data tool slides: Imagine Fox Cities: Well-Being Data Tool
Imagine Fox Cities: Well-Being Data Tool
Tool - Data/mapping Tool
Screen capture of 2023 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker
2023 Anti-Trans Bills Tracker
Tool - Data/mapping Tool

Data & Metrics


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LGBTQ+ Health Equity Library
Library
Published on 03/01/2022
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BIPOC Health Equity Library
Library
Published on 09/27/2022
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Indigenous Knowledge Library
Library
Published on 08/04/2022

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