• DiscriminationwaspervasiveforallrespondentswhotooktheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurvey,yetthecombinationofanti-transgenderbiasandpersistentstructuralandinterpersonalactsofracismwasespeciallydevastatingforAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderpeopleandotherpeopleofcolor.
• AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleoftenliveinextremepoverty,with23%reportingahouseholdincomeoflessthan$10,000/year.Thisishigherthantheratefortransgenderpeopleofallraces(15%)andalmostthreetimesthegeneralAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativepopulationrate(8%).ThisisalmostsixtimesthegeneralU.S.populationrate(4%).ii
• AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleareaffectedbyHIVindevastatingnumbers;3.24%reportedbeingHIVpositiveandanadditional8.53%reportedthattheydidnotknowtheirstatus.Thiscomparestoratesof2.64%fortransgenderrespondentsofallraces,and0.60%forthegeneralU.S.population.iii
• Fifty-sixpercent(56%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedhavingattemptedsuicide,comparedto41%ofallstudyrespondentsand1.6%ofthegeneralU.S.population.iv
Injustice at Every Turn:AlookatAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsintheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurvey
Key Findings
In2008,theNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality(NCTE)andtheNationalGayandLesbianTaskForcelauncheda
nationwidestudyofanti-transgenderdiscriminationintheUnitedStates.Overasix-monthperiod,6,456transgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleansweredaseventy-questionsurvey,reportingontheirexperiencesofdiscriminationandabuseathome,inschool,inthepublicsphere,andintheworkplace,aswellaswithlandlords,doctors,andpublicofficials,includingjudgesandpolice.Thesurveyresultsrevealedthattransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplefacepervasivediscriminationinvirtuallyallaspectsoftheirlives.
Oneofthemostimportantfindingsofthestudywasthatthecombinationofanti-transgenderbiaswithstructuralandinterpersonalracismmeantthattransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleofcolor,includingthosewhoareAmericanIndianandAlaskanNative,experienceparticularlydevastatinglevelsofdiscrimination.
BecauseofthehistoryofcolonialismandgenocideinwhatisnowtheUS,AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplefaceauniquesetofcircumstances,whichhasledtheTaskForceandtheNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality(NCTE)topublishthisreportilluminatingthesespecificexperiences.
Theinformationinthisreportisbasedontheexperiencesofthe350respondentswhodescribedthemselvesonthesurveyasAmericanIndianorAlaskanNativeonlyorAmericanIndianorAlaskanNativeandmultiracial.iWhenthisreportusesthephrase“duetobias,”itreferstoquestionsonthesurveythataskedaboutrespondents’experiencesofanti-transgenderbias,buttheresultsalsoshowthecomplexinteractionsofthatbiaswithraceandsocioeconomicstatus.
Manyrespondentsarticulatedtheirgenderidentityandexpressioninculturally-specificways,usingtermslikeTwo-SpiritortheNavajonádleehé.Inthisreportweusetheumbrellaphrase“transgenderandgendernon-conforming,”butalsorecognizeitslimitationsbecausethegenderframeworkofmanyAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativenationshasadistincthistoryandculturalmeaningthatmayormaynotalignwiththatofdominantUSculture-drivenframeworksfor“transgender.”
by jack harrison-quintana & erin fitzgerald with jaime grant
AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentswhoattendedkindergartenthroughtwelfthgradeexpressingatransgenderidentityorgendernon-conformityreportedalarming rates of harassment(86%),physical assault(51%),andsexual assault(21%)at school;harassmentwassoseverethatitled19%toleaveschool.Elevenpercent(11%)werealsoexpelled due to bias.
AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeoplehadaveryhigh unemployment rateat18%.Thisishigherthantherateoftheoverallsample(14%)andovertwicetherateofthegeneralU.S.population(7%)atthetimethesurveywasfielded.v
Thirty-sevenpercent(37%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentslost a job due to bias,and60%weredenied a jobbecauseoftheirtransgenderidentityorgendernon-conformity.
Sixty-fivepercent(65%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentswereharassed,14%werephysically assaulted,and10%weresexually assaulted at work.
Twenty-fivepercent(25%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedbeingforcedtoparticipateintheundergroundeconomyforincome,includingsex work and drug sales.
Education
Employment Discrimination
Respondentswhowereharassedandabusedbyteachersinkindergartenthroughtwelfth-gradesettingsshoweddramatically worse health and other outcomescomparedtothosewhodonotexperiencesuchabuse.Peer harassment and abuse also had highly damaging effects.
86% of American Indian and Alaskan Native respondents were
harassed in K-12 schools.
Mistreatment at Work
65%
60%
50%
70%
20%
10%
40%
30%
0
10%14%
Haras
sed
Phys
ically
assa
ulted
Sexu
ally
assa
ulted
HealthoutcomesforAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleshowtheappalling effects of social and economic marginalization,includingmuchhigher rates of being HIV positive, smoking, drug and alcohol use and suicide attemptscomparedtothegeneralpopulation.
Thirty-fourpercent(34%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedbeingrefused medical care due to bias.
Sixty-fivepercent(65%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedpostponing care when they were sick or injured due to fear of discrimination.
Fifty-sixpercent(56%)ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedhavingattempted suicide,comparedto41%ofall studyrespondentsand1.6%ofthegeneral U.S.population.ix
AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativetransgenderandgendernon-conformingpeopleenduredvariousformsofdirecthousingdiscrimination;39%reportedbeingrefused a home or apartment due to bias,and20%reportedbeingevicted due to bias.
AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentswereless likely to own homesthanthegeneralpopulationwitharateof23%.Thiscomparesto32%oftransgenderpeopleofallracesinthestudyand67%ofthegeneralU.S.population.viAlso,forcomparison,theU.S.DepartmentofHousingand
UrbanDevelopmentreportsthat“minorityhomeownership”nationwideis49.7%.vii
Analarming40%ofAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentsreportedexperiencing homelessnessatsomepointintheirlives,almostsixtimestherateofthegeneralU.S.population(7.4%).viii
Health Care
Housing Discrimination and Homelessness
HIV Rates
Amer
ican
India
n
and
Native
Amer
ican
resp
onde
nts
Respo
nden
ts
of al
l rac
es
Gener
al U.S
.
popu
lation
3.24%
3.0%
4.0%
2.5%
3.5%
1.0%
0.5%
2.0%
1.5%
0.0
2.64%
0.60%
40% of American Indian and Alaskan Native respondents have experienced homelessness, nearly six times the rate of the general US population.
AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativerespondentswereaffected by HIV in devastating numbers;3.24%reportedbeingHIVpositiveandanadditional8.53%reportedthattheydid not know their status.ThiscomparestoratesofbeingHIVpositiveof2.64%fortransgenderrespondentsofallraces,and0.60%forthegeneralU.S.population.x
SomenumbersinthisreportdifferslightlyfromnumbersinotherreportsbasedontheNTDSdatabecausegenerallythosereportsbreakoutrespondentswhowereonlyAmericanIndianorAlaskanNativefromthosewhoweremultiracialandnative.AmericanIndianandAlaskanNativemultiracialrespondentswereincludedinthegeneralmultiracialcategory.Inthisreport,however,thesegroupswerecombined.
U.S.CensusBureau,“CurrentPopulationSurvey,”AnnualSocialandEconomicSupplement(Washington,DC:GPO,2008).
JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDS,“2010:AGlobalViewofHIVInfection”(2010):http://www.unaids.org/documents/20101123_2010_HIV_Prevalence_Map_em.pdf.ForinformationonHIVstatusofAmericanIndiansandAlaskanNativesofallgenderidentitiesintheUS,see:CenterforDiseaseControl,“HIV/AIDSamongAmericanIndiansandAlaskaNatives”(Atlanta:CDC,2008)http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/PDF/aian.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.
Sevenpercent(7%)wastheroundedweightedaverageunemploymentrateforthegeneralpopulationduringthesixmonthsthesurveywasinthefield,basedonwhichmonthquestionnaireswerecompleted.SeeseasonallyunadjustedmonthlyunemploymentratesforSeptember2008throughFebruary2009.U.S.DepartmentofLabor,BureauofLaborStatistics,“TheEmploymentSituation:September2008,”(2008):http://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_10032008.htm.
i.
ii.
x.
iii.
vii.
iv.
v.
vi.
viii.
ix.
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.
JointUnitedNationsProgrammeonHIV/AIDS,“2010:AGlobalViewofHIVInfection”(2010):http://www.unaids.org/documents/20101123_2010_HIV_Prevalence_Map_em.pdf.ForinformationonHIVstatusofAmericanIndiansandAlaskanNativesofallgenderidentitiesintheUS,see:CenterforDiseaseControl,“HIV/AIDSamongAmericanIndiansandAlaskaNatives”(Atlanta:CDC,2008)http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/PDF/aian.pdf
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For the full report and detailed recommendations, please visit our websites at www.TheTaskForce.org or www.TransEquality.org (see: http://www.thetaskforce.org/reports_and_research/ntds or
http://transequality.org/Resources/index.html). More information about the survey is available at www.EndTransDiscrimination.org.
TheNationalTransgenderDiscriminationSurveywasdevelopedandfieldedbytheNationalGayandLesbianTaskForceandtheNationalCenterforTransgenderEquality.LinkstotheonlineNTDSsurveyinstrumentweredistributedthroughanetworkofmorethan900trans-servingandtrans-ledadvocacyandserviceorganizations,supportgroups,list-servesandonlinesocialnetworks.Nearly2,000papersurveysweredistributedtohard-to-reachtransgenderandgendernon-conformingpopulations.Atotalof6,456completedquestionnaireswereincludedinthefinaldataset,350ofwhichwereAmericanIndianandAlaskanNativeincludingmultiracialpeople.
A Note on Language:AttheTaskForceandNCTE,wealwaysstrivetouseinclusivelanguagethatreflectsthecurrentconversationabouthowweself-identifyinourcommunities.Fornative
Methodology
peoples,thisisoftenofparticularconcernbecausealltermsusedtodescribethebroadrangeofnationsreferredtoundertheindigenousumbrellaarecontested.Atthistime,wehavechosentouse“AmericanIndian”and“AlaskanNative”becauseitreflectsthelanguageweusedintheoriginalsurveyquestionnaire,thoughtermslikeFirstNationsandFirstPeoplesalsoresonatewithouranti-racist,anti-colonialvalues.
A Note on Native Hawaiians:Inthesurveyquestionnaire,NativeHawaiianswereincludedinthecategoryofAsianAmericansandPacificIslandersratherthanwithAmericanIndiansandAlaskanNatives,thegroupsincludedinthisreport.However,weknowhistoricallythattheNativeHawaiiancommunity’srelationshiptoimperialism,colonization,andracismalsoresonatesstronglywiththeotherindigenousnationsofwhatisnowtheUnitedStates.
