• DiscriminationwaspervasiveforallrespondentswhotooktheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurvey,yetthecombinationofanti-transgenderbiasandpersistentstructuralandinterpersonalactsofracismwasespeciallydevastatingforLatino/atransgenderpeopleandotherpeopleofcolor.
• Non-citizenLatino/arespondentswereoftenamongthosemostvulnerabletoharassment,abuseandviolenceinthestudy;theirexperiencesarenotedthroughoutthisreport.
• Latino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleoftenliveinextremepoverty,with28%reportingahouseholdincomeoflessthan$10,000/year.Thisisalmosttwicetheratefortransgenderpeopleofallraces(15%)andoverfivetimesthegeneralLatino/apopulationrate(5%).ThisisseventimesthegeneralU.S.populationrate(4%).iiTherateforLatino/anon-citizenrespondentswas43%.
• Latino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleareaffectedbyHIVindevastatingnumbers.OneintwelveLatino/arespondentswereHIVpositive(8.44%)andanadditional10.23%reportedthattheydidnotknowtheirstatus.Thiscomparestoratesof2.64%fortransgenderrespondentsofallraces,0.50%forthegeneralLatino/apopulation,and0.60%forthegeneralU.S.population.iiiTherateforLatino/anon-citizenrespondentswas23.08%.
• Forty-sevenpercent(47%)ofLatino/arespondentsreportedhavingattemptedsuicide,comparedto41%ofallstudyrespondentsand1.6%ofthegeneralU.S.population.iv
Injustice at Every Turn:AlookatLatino/arespondentsintheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurvey
Key Findings
In2008,theNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality(NCTE)andtheNationalGayandLesbianTask
Forcelaunchedanationwidestudyofanti-transgenderdiscriminationintheUnitedStates.Overasix-monthperiod,6,456transgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleansweredaseventy-questionsurvey,reportingontheirexperiencesofdiscriminationandabuseathome,inschool,inthepublicsphere,andintheworkplace,aswellaswithlandlords,doctors,andpublicofficials,includingjudgesandpolice.Thesurveyresultsrevealedthattransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplefacepervasivediscriminationinvirtuallyallaspectsoftheirlives.
Oneofthemostimportantfindingsofthestudywasthatthecombinationofanti-transgenderbiaswithstructuralandinterpersonalracismmeantthattransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleofcolor,includingthosewhoareLatino/a,experienceparticularlydevastatinglevelsofdiscrimination.Inresponse,theLeagueofUnitedLatinAmericanCitizens(LULAC)haspartneredwiththeNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality(NCTE)andtheNationalGayandLesbianTaskForcetoofferthisreportondiscriminationagainstLatino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeople.
Theinformationinthisreportisbasedontheexperiencesofthe402respondentswhodescribedthemselvesonthesurveyasLatino/aonlyorLatino/aandmultiracial.iAmongtheserespondents,332identifiedasU.S.citizensand56asnon-citizens.Thenumbersofundocumentedanddocumentednon-citizensontheirownwerenotlargeenoughtodoindividualanalysis.However,inthefullNTDSreport,undocumentedimmigrantsreportedevenhigherratesofdiscriminationandweexpectLatino/arespondentswouldexhibitthesamepattern.
Whenthisreportusesthephrase“duetobias,”itreferstoquestionsonthesurveythataskedaboutrespondents’experiencesofanti-transgenderbias,buttheresultsalsoshowthecomplexinteractionsofthatbiaswithrace,socioeconomicstatus,immigrationstatus,andlanguageability.
by jack harrison-quintana & david pÉrez with jaime grant
Latino/arespondentswhoattendedkindergartenthroughtwelfthgradeexpressingatransgenderidentityorgendernon-conformityreportedalarmingratesofharassment(77%),physical assault(36%),andsexual assault(13%)atschool;harassmentwassoseverethatitled 21% to leave school.Ninepercent(9%)werealsoexpelled due to bias.
Respondentswhowereharassedandabusedbyteachersinkindergartenthroughtwelfthgradesettingsshoweddramatically worse healthandotheroutcomescomparedtothosewhodonotexperiencesuchabuse.Peer harassment and abuse alsohadhighlydamagingeffects.
Latino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleenduredvariousformsofdirecthousingdiscrimination;29%reportedbeingrefused a home or apartmentduetobias,and15%reportedbeingevictedduetobias.OfLatino/anon-citizenrespondents,46%wererefusedahomeorapartmentand26%wereevicted.
Latino/arespondentswereless likely to own homesthanthegeneralpopulationwitharateof15%.This
comparesto32%oftransgenderpeopleofallracesinthestudyand67%ofthegeneralU.S.population.viAlso,forcomparison,theU.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopmentreportsthat“minorityhomeownership”nationwideis49.7%.vii
Analarming27%ofLatino/arespondentsreportedexperiencinghomelessnessatsomepointintheirlives,almostfourtimestherateofthegeneralU.S.population(7.4%).viii
Latino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplehadavery high unemployment rateat20%.Thisishigherthantherateoftheoverallsample(14%)andalmost three times the rate of the general U.S. population(7%)atthetimethesurveywasfielded.v
Twenty-sixpercent(26%)ofLatino/arespondentslost a job due to bias,and47%weredenied a jobbecauseoftheirtransgenderidentityorgendernon-conformity.ForLatino/anon-citizenrespondents,therateofjoblossduetobiaswas42%.
Fifty-fourpercent(54%)ofLatino/arespondentswereharassed,16%werephysically assaulted,and14%weresexually assaultedatwork.OfLatino/anon-citizenrespondents,57%wereharassed,47%werephysicallyassaulted,and38%weresexuallyassaulted.
Thirty-fourpercent(34%)ofLatino/arespondents
Education
Employment Discrimination
Housing Discrimination and Homelessness
77% of Latino/a respondents who attended school expressing a transgender identity or gender non-conformity faced harassment.
reportedbeingforcedtoparticipateintheundergroundeconomyforincome,includingsex work and drug sales.
Mistreatment at Work
Haras
sed
Phys
ically
assa
ulted
Sexu
ally
assa
ulted
54%60%
50%
20%
10%
40%
30%
0
16%14%
22% of Latino/a respondents had experienced homelessness.
HealthoutcomesforLatino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleshowtheappallingeffectsofsocialandeconomicmarginalization,includingmuch higher rates of being HIV positive,smoking, drug and alcohol useandsuicide attemptscomparedtothegeneralpopulation.
Twenty-threepercent(23%)ofLatino/arespondentsreportedbeingrefused medical careduetobias.
Thirty-sixpercent(36%)ofLatino/arespondentsreportedpostponing care when they were sick or injureddue to fear of discrimination.
Forty-sevenpercent(47%)ofLatino/arespondentsreportedhavingattempted suicide,comparedto41%ofallstudyrespondentsand1.6%ofthegeneralU.S.population.ix
Latino/arespondentswereaffected by HIV in devastating numbers.NearlyoneintenLatino/arespondentswereHIV positive(8.44%)andanadditional10.23%reportedthattheydid not know
Health Care
HIV Rates10%
8%
2%
6%
4%
0
Latin
o/a tr
ansg
ende
r
Gener
al La
tino/a
Tran
sgen
der,
all ra
ces
Gener
al U.S
. pop
ulatio
n
2.64%
8.44%
0.50% 0.60%
their status.ThiscomparestoratesofbeingHIVpositiveof2.64%fortransgenderrespondentsofallraces,0.50%forthegeneralLatino/apopulation,and0.60%forthegeneralU.S.population.x
Forty-sevenpercent(47%)ofLatino/atransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplereportedexperiencingsignificant family acceptance,and65%reportedthattheir relationships with family slowly improved after coming out as
Family Life
Family Acceptance
Suicide Homelessness HIV
57%
43%
50%
60%
20%
10%
40%
30%
0
39%
13%
8.74%
RejectedAccepted
7.63%
transgender.Thoserespondentswhowereacceptedbytheirfamiliesweremuchlesslikelytofacediscrimination.
TheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurveywasdevelopedandfieldedbytheNationalGayandLesbianTaskForceandtheNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality.Linkstotheon-lineNTDSsurveyinstrumentweredistributedthroughanetworkofmorethan900trans-servingandtrans-ledadvocacyandserviceorganizations,supportgroups,list-servesandonlinesocial
113319thStreet,NW,Suite1000Washington,DC20036
(202)833-6130www.LULAC.org
Methodology
SomenumbersinthisreportdifferslightlyfromnumbersinotherreportsbasedontheNTDSdatabecausegenerallythosereportsbreakoutrespondentswhowereonlyLatino/afromthosewhowereLatino/amultiracial.Latino/amultiracialrespondentswereincludedinthegeneralmultiracialcategory.Inthisreport,however,Latino/a-onlyandLatino/amultiracialrespondentswerecountedtogether.
U.S.CensusBureau,“CurrentPopulationSurvey,”AnnualSocialandEconomicSupplement(Washington,DC:GPO,2008).ThisnumberisbasedonallthosewhoindicatedtheywereHispanic.
ThoughthefigurereportedherefortheLatino/ageneralpopulationHIVrateislessthanthegeneralU.S.populationrate,Latino/asaredisproportionatelyaffectedbyHIVaccordingtomanymetricsofanalysisincludingrepresentationamongnewcases.Formore,see:TheHenryJ.KaiserFamilyFoundation,“HIV/AIDSPolicyFactSheet:LatinosandHIV/AIDS”(2006):http://www.kff.org/hivaids/upload/6007-03.pdf;JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDS,“2010:AGlobalViewofHIVInfection”(2010):http://www.unaids.org/documents/20101123_2010_HIV_Prevalence_Map_em.pdf;Glynn,M.K.,&Rhodes,P.,“EstimatedHIVPrevalenceintheUnitedStatesattheEndof2003,”(2005NationalHIVPreventionConference,June2005);U.S.CensusBureau,“PopulationbySex,Age,HispanicOrigin,andRace:2004”(2005):http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hispanic/ASEC2004/2004CPS_tab1.1a.html.
“U.S.A.Suicide:2002OfficialFinalData,”preparedfortheAmericanAssociationofSuicidologybyJohnL.McIntosh,Ph.D.Officialdatasource:Kochanek,K.D.,Murphy,S.L.,Anderson,R.N.,&Scott,C.(2004).Deaths:Finaldatafor2002.NationalVitalStatisticsReports,53(5).Hyattsville,MD:NationalCenterforHealthStatisticsDHHSPublicationNo.(PHS)2005-1120.Populationfiguressource:tableI,p.108.oftheNationalCenterforHealthStatistics(Kochaneketal.,2004),seehttp://www.sprc.org/library/event_kit/2002datapgv1.pdf.
Sevenpercent(7%)wastheroundedweightedaverageunemploymentrateforthegeneralpopulationduringthesixmonthsthesurveywasinthefield,basedonwhichmonthquestionnaireswerecompleted.SeeseasonallyunadjustedmonthlyunemploymentratesforSeptember2008throughFebruary2009.U.S.DepartmentofLabor,BureauofLaborStatistics,“TheEmploymentSituation:September2008,”(2008):http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_10032008.htm.
i.
ii.
ix.
x.
iii.
vi.
iv.
v.
vii.
viii.
NotesU.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment,“U.S.HousingMarketConditions,2ndQuarter,2009”(Washington,DC:GPO,2009):http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/ushmc/summer09/nat_data.pdf.
U.S.DepartmentofHousingandUrbanDevelopment,“U.S.HousingMarketConditions,2ndQuarter,2009”(Washington,DC:GPO,2009):http://www.huduser.org/portal/periodicals/ushmc/summer09/nat_data.pdf.HUDdidnotdefine“minority”inthisreport.
UnitedStatesConferenceofMayors,“HungerandHomelessnessSurvey”(2006):48,http://usmayors.org/hungersurvey/2006/report06.pdf.
“U.S.A.Suicide:2002OfficialFinalData,”preparedfortheAmericanAssociationofSuicidologybyJohnL.McIntosh,Ph.D.Officialdatasource:Kochanek,K.D.,Murphy,S.L.,Anderson,R.N.,&Scott,C.(2004).Deaths:Finaldatafor2002.NationalVitalStatisticsReports,53(5).Hyattsville,MD:NationalCenterforHealthStatisticsDHHSPublicationNo.(PHS)2005-1120.Populationfiguressource:tableI,p.108.oftheNationalCenterforHealthStatistics(Kochaneketal.,2004),seehttp://www.sprc.org/library/event_kit/2002datapgv1.pdf.
ThoughthefigurereportedherefortheLatino/ageneralpopulationHIVrateislessthanthegeneralU.S.populationrate,Latino/asaredisproportionatelyaffectedbyHIVaccordingtomanymetricsofanalysisincludingrepresentationamongnewcases.Formore,see:TheHenryJ.KaiserFamilyFoundation,“HIV/AIDSPolicyFactSheet:LatinosandHIV/AIDS”(2006):http://www.kff.org/hivaids/upload/6007-03.pdf;JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDS,“2010:AGlobalViewofHIBInfection”(2010):http://www.unaids.org/documents/20101123_2010_HIV_Prevalence_Map_em.pdf;Glynn,M.K.,&Rhodes,P.,“EstimatedHIVPrevalenceintheUnitedStatesattheEndof2003,”(2005NationalHIVPreventionConference,June2005);U.S.CensusBureau,“PopulationbySex,Age,HispanicOrigin,andRace:2004”(2005):http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hispanic/ASEC2004/2004CPS_tab1.1a.html.
Forthefullreportanddetailedrecommendations,pleasevisitourwebsitesatwww.TheTaskForce.orgorwww.TransEquality.org(see:http://www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/ntdsor
http://transequality.org/Resources/index.html).Moreinformationaboutthesurveyisavailableatwww.EndTransDiscrimination.org.
networks.Nearly2,000papersurveysweredistributedtohard-to-reachtransgenderandgendernon-conformingpopulations.Atotalof6,456completedquestionnaireswereincludedinthefinaldataset,402ofwhichwereLatinaorLatinoincludingmultiracialpeople.
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