Transgender People and Resilience

Transgender is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of gender identities, including transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, gender fluid, and other nonbinary gender identities. Transgender individuals typically identify with a gender different from the binary sex they were assigned at birth. Because of the stigma and public misunderstanding that can accompany a transgender identity, transgender individuals are often targets of violence and discrimination. Discrimination toward this community is commonly referred to as transphobia or cisgenderism. Discriminatory events can include harassment, assault, and abuse, as well as microaggressions (e.g., referring to an individual by incorrect pronouns). Discrimination also occurs via [Page 1713]barriers to mental and physical health care, and in employment and housing, among many other settings. Both structural and interpersonal experiences with transphobia and cisgenderism have ...