Internalized Transphobia

[Page 952]Internalized transphobia refers to the situation when an individual who is transgender or whose gender identity or gender expression does not match the person’s assigned sex at birth internalizes negative messages perpetuated by society regarding being transgender. Transgender persons may or may not be aware of the negative feelings or attitudes they have toward others who are transgender or themselves as a transgender individual. This is because beliefs about what it means to be male or female are repeatedly reinforced throughout society from a very young age. In fact, gender identity is forced on us within our first few hours of life. For example, in the United States, newborn boys are typically wrapped in blue blankets to signify that they are males, whereas newborn ...