If you compare it to the LGB rights struggle so far, I would say we are about where LGB rights/acceptance were in the 1950s or 1960s. I say this because it is still very invisible and misunderstood in mainstream culture and very few places have laws that protect Trans* people. Am I being too pessimistic here?
Seems like, depending more on area, we're about 20 years behind the LGB movement. Transpeople are still the butt of many media jokes, loads of hate crimes, little to no awareness, but on the bright side, more and more people are accepting transpeople as we're becoming more visible in society. I honestly think within the next twenty years, we'll be seeing mainstream acceptance on par with the rest of the LGB community.
Definitely heavily depends on location... in New Zealand we had our first openly gay politician in 1993 and our first openly trans mayor (who subsequently became an MP) in 1995, so the gap between them was small. All equality/discrimination protection legislature has included both trans* and lesbian+gay people together, it hasn't been a separate fight for each. edit: there has been a bit of silliness here this year regarding where a trans* person should go when it comes to gender segregated prisons, so we aren't quite legally equivalent. I can't think of anything else though. Social acceptance unfortunately isn't as good as far as I'm aware, but honestly I wouldn't say it was that far behind - it's probably viewed about the same as other sexual minorities were 8-10 years ago.
We're the minority of the minority. In my county there are protection laws, but as far as nation or worldwide, we're WAY behind as far as progress goes. I highly doubt I'll see the same amount of acceptance the LGB community is getting right now for trans* folk within the next 10 or so years, and I got a feeling that the possibility of seeing global acceptance won't happen in my lifetime.
Hardly anywhere. Some people understand what transgenderism is, but overall it's a very unknown struggle. We're not really even out of the woods with homosexuality, let alone gender identity. As with L, G, and B though, the T does seem to have a bright future.
I mean when you see stuff like all the comments on Carmen Carrera and victoria's secret, it really hits home even more on how much hatred/disgust there is towards us...Maybe by 2050 shit will be better.
20 years ago, It would've been unheard of, And condemned as demonic and blasphemous here, Now we have fully ensured rights, And it's becoming VERY accepted in main stream society
Rights? We're at least something like twenty years behind the LG. Social acceptance? If it happens, it won't be any time soon... a gay person can hide their orientation, but few folks can hide while they're transitioning, and while greater legal protection is progress, it still won't stop hateful bigots from murdering someone they consider a freak.
It really depends on how well you pass. I have a theory on this and it was pretty much pulled out of my ass at 12 AM. If a trans man looks conventionally masculine, or if a trans woman looks conventionally feminine, and they pass well, then there will only be 1-2 people harassing them (people will be too busy saying "I can't believe that's a dude/chick! Wrong pronouns, but better than downright transphobia) , assuming they are openly trans. If they are stealth, then the ones who pass will generally be a lot better off than those who don't pass as well. And in the trans community, there's another hierarchy (note that I'm using the umbrella definition) - with people who have pretty much completely transitioned at the top (and pre-ops/non-ops who pass really well), your average trans person, and then the non-binaries, and then the people who don't pass, and the cross-dressers, well, I guess you could put them in there, too, but they don't have dysphoria. That was for acceptance. As for rights, we're behind LGB. Not even close to them. Not by a long shot. In some places, some of us aren't even allowed to use the right bathroom... (note that I say "some" because some trans people can get by undetected) People do not look at other people's genitals unless they want to become known as "That Creep Who Watches You In The Bathroom." Nobody wants to be that. :icon_sad: Nobody. Besides, a lot of trans men have facial hair and large adam's apples, which are very masculine traits. For trans women, it's even harder, especially if they don't have money. I bet people have seen really crazy shit (pun not intended) in the bathrooms. I actually thought transgender people would have gotten more acceptance- there is nothing that discredits transgender people in any religious texts. You'd think homophobes would go, "It must take a lot of dedication to change your sex just to become straight! :eusa_clap"
++ Everything An Gentleman said. Going in the female direction, part of our passing is beauty culture. A lot of our problems are similar to the problems, for example, morbidly obese women face. It's 2013 but I'm finding out how successful you are as a woman still has a lot to do with how visually appealing you are.
Legally, we're further along in europe than in the us. We get free transition, legal protection, and facilities to change our birth certificates. There is no legal provision for non-binary people though, which is something we really need to work on. Socially, not so good. Hence why I'm stealth.
Considering all of the rampant transphobia displayed within media and the general public, discrimination in public spaces, and misinformation on trans* people, we're far behind LG(B) rights, and social acceptance is rare to come across (as discrimination can come about in queer spaces as well, not just cisgender, heterosexual world). I'd give or take about ten years to see any significant progress or change, but that's somewhat of a shot in the dark because it heavily depends on location. I will admit awareness is progressing more than ever as more people are coming out and are seeking medical treatment, much more so than compared to a decade or so ago, so I think that's a step first and foremost. But the social acceptance aspect of it all will take the longest for any substantial change.
Transmen are lagging behing LGB, but they're much better off than transwomen. I've gathered a lot of information, and I've come to a realization: it's a myth that violence against transpeople always emerges from their status of being gender benders. No, to believe that in light of all the evidence shed on the matter would be naive. Transmen get more acceptance and latitude in their gender expressions. Therefore, what we can conclude is that anti-trans violence, which happens at a far higher rate at MAAB trans*folk is a distinct form of oppression that must be analyzed under its own microscope in order for a suitable solution to be attained. It's the patriarchy that oppresses transwomen, and once transmen are passable they in essence enjoy all the benefits of male privilege.
I have nothing against transexuals. I have to admit I don't know nothing about them really. As long as more information is known about them in public then acceptance might come along.
Probably due to the fact many people are unaware and quite simply do not understand. I've been blessed with having many distinct people in my life from an early age, family and friends who are gay/lesbian/bi/transgenders/and people of different ethnicities However how could most people accept them as many humans naturally fear what they can't understand. People still confuse transgenders with transvestites. Transgender is a gender identity and not a sexual orientation contrarly to LGBUPA and everything inbetween, and transgenders are pretty invisible as far as media goes. I do believe Unique in glee is important and is definitly teaching/informing a mass audience a great deal by rendering transgenders visible, especially the younger audience. A (gay) friend that was awkward towards a transfriend of mine (due to ignorance) cried during her performance of beyoncés If I were a Boy. And he doesnt cry through anything normally. This is because a high majority of people have felt pushed aside, neglected, feared unnaceptance or even bullied. We can relate to other people in that sense. (The only other transgender character I can think of would be Hayley Cropper from the British Soap coronation street.) But you do need people to firstly understand in order to accept and that is probably the most immediate problem that needs solving.