Anti-Trans Bias in the DSM

[Page 75]Anti-trans bias, or transphobia, refers to an irrational fear or hatred of transgender people and, more broadly, of gender nonconformity. It can also refer to the tendency of individuals and systems to recognize the gender identity and/or expression associated with birth-assigned gender as the only legitimate gender identity and/or expression an individual may possess. While transphobia differs from homophobia in that it refers to the dislike of gender nonconformity more broadly, many argue that the two inherently coexist, since homosexuality itself is a form of gender nonconformity (e.g., men are “supposed” to feel sexually attracted exclusively to women, and vice versa). Nonetheless, most agree that transgender people experience types of bias and discrimination that their cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual counterparts do not. Examples ...