opinion

Respect the humanity of transgender people

If you listened in on the concerns of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and you got beyond all the talk and excitement about marriage equality booming across the country, you would hear something terrifying — the stories of transgender women who have been murdered.

Seven transgender women have been added to that list this year — six of them African-American or Latina. Tennessee has not escaped the trend. The 2008 murder of Duanna Johnson in Memphis has still not been solved. Alejandra Leos’ life was taken last September in Memphis. Closer to home, Gizzy Fowler was murdered in North Nashville in November.

The reaction to these murders is troubling — often a mixture of ambivalence and victim-blaming. To those who feel indifferent or hostile, I suggest that if simply existing as a transgender person is dangerous, we all have a problem.

What to do?

First, we can respect the identities of the victims and the survivors. The initial reporting of transgender murders is often full of misgendering — that is, calling transgender people by a gender or name other than the one with which they identify. None of us would continue a conversation with someone who refused to call us by our preferred name.

Honoring the wishes of transgender people goes a long way to building respect and safety and dispelling the myth that transgender people are not who they say they are.

Second, we can stop making jokes. If you learned more about the struggles that a transgender person goes through to live authentically, you would have the opportunity to be impressed with a story of overcoming many obstacles. You might gain a friend, a cherished neighbor. But even if you never took the time, maybe you would agree that transgender jokes need to go the way of racial, ethnic and gay jokes — in the embarrassing rearview mirror of the past.

Third, our nonprofit and government social services need to offer support inclusively. From homeless shelters to domestic violence programs to hospitals, we need to realize that when we present hurdles to transgender people before we agree to serve them or turn them away, we may be sentencing them to death. I hope anyone who serves on a nonprofit board will review whether and how their organization serves transgender people.

Fourth, businesses can play a role, too. Not discriminating against transgender employees, besides being the right thing to do, opens employers to a wider talent pool. Misgendering transgender customers in restrooms or on the sales floor exposes them to violence. Let people buy what they know is right for them and use the restroom without harassment. It shouldn’t be hard.

Fifth, faith communities play a role, for good and ill. A welcoming faith community can be life-saving for a religious transgender person. A condemning faith community contributes to violence against transgender people by isolating and demonizing them. We all need to take responsibility for the outcomes of our beliefs.

Considering public policy solutions, such as making it easier for transgender people to change the gender markers on their government documents, is also necessary.

As vital as policy reform is, though, we all have a role to play in making our society safer for transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. Don’t look away, as so many have done. Look with respect and look at what you can do to become an ally.

Chris Sanders is executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project and Tennessee Equality Project Foundation.