2015 Trans Survey (Cont.)

Today I am reviewing education section and there are a number of important issues that the 2015 Transgender Survey full report covers.

I was an “Out” grad student at the University of Connecticut. I began grad school before I transitioned, before each semester I went to the professor and that I go by “Diana” and all the professors said okay. During class and all my homework and tests I signed my name as Diana and the professors turned in their reports with my legal name. when I did transition they changed over my records seamlessly.

Chapter 8 starts off with these facts.

• Twelve percent (12%) of respondents were out as transgender at some point from Kindergarten through the 12th grade.
• More than three-quarters (77%) of respondents who were out or perceived as transgender in K–12 had one or more negative experiences, such as being verbally harassed, prohibited from dressing according to their gender identity, or physically or sexually assaulted.
• Fifty-four percent (54%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender in K–12 were verbally harassed, and 24% were physically attacked.
• Seventeen percent (17%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender left a K–12 school because the mistreatment was so bad, and 6% were expelled.
• Twenty-four percent (24%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender in college or vocational school were verbally, physically, or sexually harassed.

I know of several students who transitioned before they even started Kindergarten including a student in town and they haven’t had any problems. But there has been problems with other school systems here in Connecticut. The report stated,

Verbal HarassmentMore than half (54%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender in K–12 were verbally harassed because they were transgender. Verbal harassment differed among people of color, with American Indian (69%) and Middle Eastern (61%) respondents being more likely to have this experience, and Latino/a (52%) and Black (51%) respondents being less likely.

Physical AttackNearly one-quarter (24%) were physically attacked because of being transgender. Transgender women (38%) were more likely to have been physically attacked than transgender men (20%) and non-binary people (16%). American Indian respondents (49%) were more than twice as likely to have been physically attacked, and Middle Eastern (36%), multiracial (31%), and Black (28%) respondents were also more likely to have had this experience, in contrast to Latino/a (24%), white (23%), and Asian (17%) respondents.

Sexual AssaultThirteen percent (13%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender in K–12 were sexually assaulted in school because they were transgender. Transgender women (21%) and crossdressers (18%) were more likely to have been sexually assaulted than transgender men (9%) and non-binary people (10%)

The last is most troubling.

I am on the Safe School Coalition which is run by the CT Department of Education and what some K-12 school districts are here in Connecticut are doing is reporting physical and sexual attacks as bullying to avoid the stigma of having to report sexual assaults on campus.

This is another thing the school districts are avoid dealing to attacks on trans students.

Expelled from SchoolSix percent (6%) of people who were out or perceived as transgender were expelled from school. Transgender women were nearly twice as likely to have been expelled, with one in ten (10%) reporting that experience (Figure 8.10). Further, respondents who were currently working in the underground economy (18%) were three times as likely to have been expelled from school.

Some school district ignore attacks by cisgender students and then when the trans student fights back to defend themselves then they are expelled.

A couple of years ago I did training at a state vocational high school because of bullying.

Outness and Treatment in College or Vocational SchoolOf respondents who had attended college or vocational school, 46% said their classmates, professors, or staff at college or vocational school thought or knew they were transgender. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of respondents who indicated that classmates, professors, or staff at college or vocational school thought or knew they were transgender were verbally, physically, or sexually harassed. American Indian (37%), Black (28%), and Middle Eastern (27%) respondents were more likely to have had these experiences, while white (23%), Latino/a (23%), and Asian (22%) respondents were less likely.

Of respondents who were out or perceived as transgender and who experienced some form of harassment, 16% left college or vocational school because the harassment was so bad. This represents 2% of all respondents who attended a higher education institution. Of those who experienced some form of harassment, transgender women (21%) were more likely to have left college or vocational school for this reason than transgender men (16%) and non-binary people (12%) (Figure 8.12). Respondents currently working in the underground economy were almost twice as likely (31%) to have left college because of harassment than other respondents. American Indian (23%), Latino/a (23%), Black (21%), and multiracial (20%) respondents were more likely to report leaving school for that reason.

In addition to the 2% who left because the harassment was so bad, 1% of respondents who attended college or vocational school were expelled or forced out, and 5% left because of other reasons related to being transgender.

As I said I personally have not been harassed in college and I don’t know if I am the exception or it is the norm.

Once again the data suggests that by having a support network increases positive outcomes. It would have been interesting if they asked if there schools had GSA (Gay Straight Alliances) and how correlate that with bullying and violence against trans students.

The next chapter is on jobs.