Transphobia: a 21st Century Problem
I chose the subject of transgenderism and transphobia because I am very passionate about the subject. I have wanted to learn more about the subject, and I have been waiting for an opportunity to do an official report or project on it. One of my favorite subjects is learning about the LGBTQ+ community and has been ever since my parents taught me the importance of accepting anyone and everyone for who they are on the inside. I personally know of people who are transphobic, or absolutely refuse to acknowledge trans and non-conforming individuals. This not only angers me but concerns me.
We live in the 21st century and there still exists racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, and so much prejudice in our world. When one expresses that they do not support or believe in transgenderism, they are likely uneducated on the matter or have learned that discrimination against the trans group is right, or not wrong. I want to change this. Sometimes, giving someone a strong emotion can connect them to a memory. Therefore, I decided to do my project on transphobia, hoping to ignite the emotions in relation to violence and suicide among trans people so my audience take the subject matter seriously. This is a relevant subject matter in need of attention for both social justice for others and I.
Social justice for transphobia does not just help transgender individuals be safer in our world. It helps the LGBTQ+ community as a whole feel more accepted in society and feel the justice and support for their fellow community group members. As for myself, I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community and I feel society should be more aware of transphobia as a valid issue in need of attention. As hate crimes continue, less trans individuals and other LGBTQ+ members will want to come out of the closet, which can heavily affect their mental health. Living in a world already so unpredictable, adding on the extra pressures of avoiding violence and discriminatory experiences would be a challenge for anyone.
KnowledgeI am currently enrolled in an LGBTQ+ studied course at GCC, therefore I already know quite a bit of information about transgender people and transphobia. The more I know, the more I can educate anyone willing to listen about the importance of acceptance. And from what I have found, the easiest way to convince someone on the importance of acceptance is through an education and more knowledge on the subject. SynthesisIn my project, I define the terms transgender and transphobia. I cannot connect with an audience about a subject matter if the audience is unaware of the meanings regarding the specific terminology I use.
Transphobia is a global issue because there are cases of transphobia in countries all over the world. For example, gathered from my research there have been cases in England, Wales, and the United States. There was much more research to add about trans hate crimes in other countries, but I chose what seemed most significant. People should care about transphobia because it continues to be an issue even in our 21stcentury.
As proposed in my infographic, out of the reported 2009 hate crimes against LGBTQ+ individuals, 50% were against transgender women. This proves that hate crimes against trans people exist and are not a problem of the past. Police in England and Wales recorded over just over 62,000 hate crimes in 2015-2016. About 850 of these hate crimes recorded were under the trans category. The significance of these results lies in knowing that although the trans hate crimes only make up 1% of the 62,000 hate crimes, those trans hate crime numbers were 41% higher than previously recorded by the police. This either means that trans people are more of a target because they are more open about being out, or trans people are reporting their hate crimes more often now. It may very well be a mix of the two.
Discrimination against trans people means that they are at higher risk of being suicidal. From data collected by the UCLA, just over half of trans individuals who experience 4 types of discrimination in a year, tried death by suicide that year. Half of a group is too high of a percentage. Imagine the entirety of a society, and half attempt suicide due to discrimination—the results would destroy families.
Trans people, their community, and their families are going through trauma due to transphobia. Awareness and validating the transgender community are how my project addresses the issue of transphobia. It provides an official definition for transgenderism and transphobia, directly and obviously pointing out the subject matter of the issue.
My project provides evidence of hate crimes against transgender individuals, to prove it as an official issue with statistics. My project also provides information on suicide in relation to transgenderism. People take suicide seriously. Therefore, for those on the verge of respect in regard to trans individuals, suicidal rates connect trans people to being humans...valid human souls. Human souls in which others can realize matter, exist, and can use support. The trans population is very small compared to the rest of the world. However, even one percent of billions of people is a significant amount of people, and they matter just as much.
I believe that because the issue is serious, it was important to use a template that was not bright or colorful. It is a serious and somber subject, so I felt it needed to not only read but physically show dull colors and simplicity. I felt over-decorative, bright components would compromise the seriousness and tone I want my project to come across as.
