BY AJ Trager



Beginning Aug. 19, transgender and non-binary identifying people will be able to log onto http://www.ustranssurvey.org and take the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey.

The U.S. Trans Survey is a followup to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, a resource for helping researchers, policymakers and advocates see the experiences of trans people over time, how things are changing and what can be done to improve the lives of trans people.

The NTDS was developed and conducted by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality in 2008-2009 and has provided key information regarding the number of trans people who have faced discrimination or harassment in employment, housing, school, health care and other areas of life. The results were released in the 2011 report, “Injustice At Every Turn.”

The U.S. Trans Survey will be the largest, most comprehensive survey in the history of U.S. trans history, seeking a goal of 20,000 completed surveys by trans, gender queer or non-binary identified people from around the country.

“Over the years, transgender people have bravely told their stories in a monumental community wide effort to make the case for trans health care, program funding and equal protection of our civil rights. If we reach our goal of 20,000 completed surveys, we will have the kind of data we need to make our case to elected leaders, the media and funding sources even more compelling,” said Char Davenport, chair of the Michigan tri-cities chapter of Transgender Michigan.

The USTS will cover a wide range of topics that reflect the lives and experiences of trans people and is designed to more fully examine specific issue areas that disparately impact trans people, such as unemployment and underemployment, housing, health care, HIV/AIDS, disabilities, immigration, sex work and police interactions. Many of the questions included in the USTS have never been asked of trans people before. Like last time, the data set will be shared with advocates, organizations and academics for years to come.

In anticipation of the release of the survey, the National LGBTQ Task Force has designated July 28-30 as “2015 U.S. Trans Survey Awareness Week,” and is requesting that the trans community and allies of the trans community help find as many people who will pledge to take the survey as possible.

Tuesday, July 28 will be social media day and all advocates for the survey can take to the internet and spread the word through graphics and statements provided by NLGBTQTF. July 29 will be “email day,” and supporters can use the email template on the Task Force website to send around to members of the trans and non-binary community. Blog Day will take place on July 30, where people are encouraged to share their first-hand experiences online.