Transphobia

Transphobia consists of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions towards transgender people or transness in general. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, violence or anger towards people who do not conform to social gender expectations. It is often expressed alongside homophobic views and hence is often considered an aspect of homophobia. Transphobia is a type of prejudice and discrimination, similar to racism and sexism, and transgender people of color are often subjected to all three forms of discrimination at once. Transgender youth may experience sexual harassment, bullying, and violence in school, foster care, and welfare programs, as well as potential abuse from within their family. Adult victims experience public ridicule, harassment including misgendering, taunts, threats of violence, insisting that they must change their physical bodies to comport with societal perceptions of gender, and false arrest; many feel unsafe in public. A high percentage report being victims of sexual violence. Some are refused healthcare or suffer workplace discrimination, including being fired for being transgender, or feel under siege by conservative political or religious groups who oppose LGBT-rights laws. They also suffer discrimination from some people within LGBT social movements, and from some feminists. Besides the increased risk of violence and other threats, the stress created by transphobia can cause negative mental health outcomes which may lead to substance use disorders, running away from home (in minors), and a higher rate of suicide. In the Western world, there have been gradual changes towards the establishment of policies of non-discrimination and equal opportunity. The trend is also taking shape in developing nations. In addition, campaigns regarding the LGBT community are being spread around the world to improve social acceptance of nontraditional gender identities. The "Stop the Stigma" campaign by the UN is one such example. The word transphobia is a classical compound patterned on the term homophobia.