RESEARCH GUIDE

Transgender Research:
Experiences and Public Policies

 Jump Start
1. Research Tab: Click Transgender under the Research Tab on our home page, or access our
research directly here: Transgender Research.
2. National: For research on transgender issues and experiences at a national level, first see
Injustice at Every Turn, A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. This is the
most comprehensive study to date on the experiences of transgender people in the U.S. Additional
studies can be found by searching in related topics under the Research Tab and through our on-site
Search option.
3. State or Local: Search for studies of experiences, policies, and practices at the state and local
levels on the U.S. State Resource Map. Additional studies can be found by searching in related
topics under the Research Tab and through our on-site Search option.
4. Global: We have resources on issues at the international level, as well. Search for International
under the Research Tab on our home page, or access our research here, International Research.

Getting Oriented
The following concepts and questions are useful in considering how to study the experiences of and
public policies relevant to transgender people:
1. Transgender Identity: The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) defines
the adjective transgender as, [describing] a diverse group of individuals who cross or transcend
culturally defined categories of gender. The gender identity of transgender people differs to varying
degrees from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Individuals, however, use a variety of identities they feel most appropriately represent themselves,
such as transgender, transsexual, trans, gender non-conforming, MTF, FTM, male, female,
two-spirit, genderqueer, non-binary, and third gender. Researchers should be cognizant of this
diversity. Individuals, survey administrators, researchers, media, clinicians, and others may use
different terms with differing degrees of inclusiveness to identify and limit the populations they
wish to describe. For further discussion of diverse gender identities, see A Gender Not Listed Here:
Genderqueers, Gender Rebels, and OtherWise in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.
2. The U.S. Transgender Population: There is much we do not know about the size, demographics,
and other characteristics of the transgender population in the U.S. To date, the best estimate of the
size of the adult transgender population in the U.S. is 700,000 individuals (0.3% of the U.S. adult
population). Find more information about this estimate in Williams Institute Blachford-Cooper
Distinguished Scholar and Research Director Gary Gates report, How Many People are Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender?
Currently, few federal surveys that provide information about the U.S. population, such as the
Census and the National Health Interview Survey, ask questions to identify transgender people or
other gender minorities. The Williams Institute convened a multi-year study to design questions
to identify transgender people that could be added to these surveys. For a report outlining those
best practices, see Best Practices for Asking Questions to Identify Transgender and Other Gender
Minority Respondents on Population-Based Surveys. The Williams Institute has also worked with
the California Health Interview Survey, one of the largest health surveys in the U.S., to add gender
identity questions to their survey for the 2015-2016 cycle.

3. Developing Appropriate Surveys and Survey Questions for Transgender People:

i. Researchers designing surveys focused on or inclusive of transgender people need to consider
a variety of factors in their methodology. For a review of the challenges and opportunities in
surveying the transgender population on matters of health care, see Counting Transgender
and Gender Non-Conforming Adults in Health Research: Recommendations from the Gender
Identity in U.S. Surveillance Group.
ii. Surveys that observe transgender populations outside of the U.S. need to make additional
considerations. Individuals outside the U.S. may or may not use the same identities that are
commonly used in the U.S. Recently, the Williams Institute partnered with the Blue Diamond
Society of Nepal to conduct a survey to better understand the identities and experiences of
gender minorities in that country, see Surveying Nepals Sexual and Gender Minorities for
further analysis. A follow-up report, here, includes a review of the processes involved in
surveying gender minority populations in Nepal, An Inclusive Approach to Surveys of Sexual and
Gender Minorities: Report of Meeting, Kathmandu, Nepal.
4. Future Work: Be sure to look for future Williams Institute research and publications, such as
TransPop: The U.S. Transgender Population Health Survey, an upcoming study of transgender
demography, health, discrimination, and other issues based on a representative sample of
transgender-identified individuals in the U.S.

Important Considerations for Public Policy
1. What is the scope? Is this a local, state, or federal issue? Public or Private? When analyzing
policies relevant to transgender people it is important to consider who is affected by these policies
and the extent of their impact. For example, a locality could adopt an ordinance that only applies
to public sector employees; the federal government could enact a law that does not apply to
religious institutions. These policy boundaries matter for all policies, including those relevant to
transgender people, such as regulations pertaining to gendered bathrooms, hate crimes
prevention, and policies to update personal identification documents.

2. Who administers, manages, and enforces policy changes? Enforcement of public policy may fall
upon governments, businesses, and individuals. There are also avenues by which individuals can
seek recourse, lodge complaints, and otherwise take action to challenge or uphold policies.

3. How might policies and practices indirectly affect transgender people? Many policies have
aspects that are gender-based, and this may have implications for transgender people. Do
practices allow recognition of individuals gender identity? Are there additional actions a
transgender person must take, because of their gender identity, to act in accordance with a
policy? For instance, there are state and federal policies that govern how an individual can
update their personal information on official documents, such as birth certificates and passports.
For transgender people, additional regulations apply for changing some information on these
documents, such as the gender marker. The Williams Institute has examined this particular
concern in assessing the impact of voter ID laws on transgender people. It is important to consider
that policy changes not directed at transgender populations may nevertheless indirectly affect
them.

Empirical Research
Williams Institute research on transgender peoples experiences and relevant public policies is
ongoing. It is helpful to think of this body of research as addressing these central questions: What are
the experiences of transgender people? What public policies are particularly relevant for transgender
people? What are these policies effects?
Experiences of Transgender People
Scholars at the Williams Institute have published reports on a variety of topics and issues relevant to
transgender people:
1. Health:
i. Transition: While transgender people face the same health concerns as the general population,
they also have unique health considerations in regard to gender transition. For an analysis of
one such health issue related to transition, see Associations between Transition-Specific Stress
Experience, Nocturnal Decline in Ambulatory Blood Pressure, and C-Reactive Protein Levels
among Transgender Men.
ii. Suicide: Research suggests that transgender people have a greater risk of attempting suicide
than the general population. For a comprehensive analysis of factors associated with an
elevated risk of suicide attempts, see Suicide Attempts among Transgender and Gender NonConforming Adults: Findings of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.
2. Homelessness: LGBTQ youth face a disproportionate risk of homelessness. This Williams Institute
report, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines the
capacities and needs of organizations seeking to address this populations risks, Identifying and
Serving LGBTQ Youth: Case Studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Grantees.
3. Social-service Providers: Transgender, gay, and bisexual male youth of color face unique
challenges in accessing the social services they need. For a Williams Institute analysis of these
challenges, see Provider Perspectives on the Needs of Gay and Bisexual Male and Transgender
Youth of Color.
4. Parenting: For a comprehensive review of the literature on transgender parenting, see
Transgender Parenting: A Review of Existing Research.
5. Gendered Bathrooms: Transgender people are harmed when they are denied access to appropriate
public facilities, such as bathrooms and shelters. For a Williams Institute scholars analysis of how
gendered facilities affect individuals, see Gendered Restrooms and Minority Stress: The Public
Regulation of Gender and its Impact on Transgender Peoples Lives.
6. Law Enforcement: Some transgender individuals report facing harassment and discrimination
by law enforcement. Other transgender individuals who are themselves law enforcement officers
have faced discrimination by their colleagues. For Williams Institute analyses of these distinct
experiences, see Latina Transgender Womens Interactions with Law Enforcement in Los Angeles
County and Discrimination against Law Enforcement Officers on the Basis of Sexual Orientation
and Gender Identity: 2000 to 2013.
7. Military Service: Transgender individuals are prohibited from serving openly in the U.S. Armed
Forces. The repeal of Dont Ask Dont Tell allowed lesbian, gay, and bisexual men and women to
serve openly but did not change federal policy regarding transgender individuals. For estimates
of how many transgender people have served and are currently serving in the U.S. military, see
Transgender Military Service in the United States. For a report on the experiences of transgender
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individuals who have served, see Still Serving in Silence: Transgender Service Members and
Veterans in the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.
8. International: Transgender and other gender non-conforming individuals outside of the United
States face experiences unique to their identities and communities. For a Williams Institute survey
of the Nepalese third-gender population, see Surveying Nepals Third Gender: Development,
Implementation, and Analysis.

Public Policies
1. Voting: Transgender people face unique concerns when it comes to voting. A number of states have
adopted strict voter identification requirements that disproportionately affect transgender people,
who may not have ID that accurately reflects their gender identity. For Williams Institute research
that examines the potential impact of these laws in the 2012 and 2014 elections, see The Potential
Impact of Voter Identification Laws on Transgender Voters and The Potential Impact of Voter
Identification Laws on Transgender Voters in the 2014 General Election. For state-level research on
North Carolina, see The Potential Impact of a Strict Voter Identification Law on Transgender Voters
in North Carolina.
2. Legal Recognition of Gender/ Gender Identity: For legal research focused on changing an
individuals gender in official documentation, see Documenting Gender.
3. Criminal Justice:
i. Hate Crimes: There is limited research on the prevalence of hate crimes against transgender people.
For an overview of early research, along with analyses of hate crimes directed at other marginalized
groups, see Comparison of Hate Crime Rates across Protected and Unprotected Groups.
ii. Prison: For an analysis of the practice of segregating individuals based on sexual orientation
and gender identity in the prison system, see Strategic Segregation in the Modern Prison.
iii. Legal Proceedings: For testimony given by a Williams Institute researcher on proposed
legislation concerning the Trans Panic defense in California, see Testimony: California
Legislature Assembly Bill 2501.
4. Local Discrimination Protection: Many states, cities, and other localities have adopted prohibitions
against transgender discrimination in a number of areas, such as in housing and employment. For
studies examining policies in Maryland and New York, see Local Laws and Government Policies
Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity in Maryland and Local Laws and Government
Policies Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity in New York.
5. Economic/Fiscal Cost Analyses: Researchers at the Williams Institute have analyzed the cost
implications of a variety of policies and laws that impact transgender individuals:
i. Health Care: Few health insurance plans provide coverage for transition-related health care.
For a Williams Institute analysis of the costs and benefits to a sample of employers that provide
this coverage, see Costs and Benefits of Providing Transition-Related Health Care Coverage in
Employee Health Benefits Plans, Findings from a Survey of Employers.
ii. Discrimination Protection: Most states do not prohibit transgender discrimination. For
Williams Institute estimates of the costs of transgender discrimination in a few of these states,
see The Cost of Employment Discrimination against Transgender Residents of Massachusetts,
The Cost of Employment and Housing Discrimination against Transgender Residents of New
York, and The Cost of Employment Discrimination against Transgender Residents of Florida.
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