INTERSECTIONS AND INEQUALITIES: A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TRANSGENDER EXPERIENCE
Despite the fact that there are billions of people in this world, there are no two people who share the same exact experiences. Surely, when individuals fall within the same demographics, their differences in experience become fewer and fewer. Nevertheless, even if individuals share the same experiences, that does not mean they share the same sensations, reactions, or outcomes. One simple example is that two individuals could ride the same roller coaster at the same time, but while the first individual loved the ride, the second individual hated it.
Many life experiences and obstacles are often compared to a roller coaster ride; it goes fast and slow, up and down, and is exhilarating yet terrifying. The life of a transgender person can typically be considered one hell of a roller coaster ride; some transgender individuals can have their fair share of highs, while other transgender individuals can have many lows. The factor that contributes to these differential experiences are typically on account of the societal privilege the transgender individual holds.
In American society, those with the highest privilege are cisgender white men. In turn, those with the least amount of privilege in American society are non-cisgender women of color. Surely, because transgender people are not cisgender, that already docks them down on the privilege totem pole. Therefore, the transgender individuals with the most privilege are white men, and the transgender individuals with the least amount of privilege are women of color. Transgender women of color ultimately face the greatest amount of discrimination as they are one of the most marginalized groups in American society today. Due to this marginalization, transgender women of color have been the victims of a staggering number of hate crimes in recent years (Michaels, 2015). In essence, the victims of most gender identity-motivated hate crimes are transgender women of color and not white transgender men. Although white transgender men still have their own struggles and face discrimination, their lives are not in as much danger as the lives of transgender woman of color. This is how transgender women of color experience life differently than white transgender men.
The lives of nonbinary individuals could also be considered a roller coaster ride because of how little structure is involved in a nonbinary role. Nonbinary individuals also fall short on the privilege totem pole because, unlike cisgender or transgender individuals, they do not identify as any gender. Options for nonbinary individuals are very scarce in America’s very binary society. From public bathrooms to department stores sections, and from hairstyles to what shampoo you use – almost everything in American society serves a gender binary role. Although ignoring gendered styles and products by wearing or buying whatever you want is not difficult, there is still an overall lack of nonbinary styles, products, stores, and bathrooms. People are so commonly divided by whether they are a boy or a girl that there is no space for nonbinary people in between.
Non-binary people experience life differently than cisgender men and women because they have to work alone to determine what being nonbinary means to them. Nonbinary people are barely if at all represented in the media, nor is there really a market for them. Society has built and very clearly understands what it means to be a cisgender man or woman, but what does it mean to be nonbinary? Identifying as a nonbinary gender is exactly that – there is no binary, and there is no structure.
The best ways to address these multiple and intersecting experiences is to first address your own privileges you may have in society. Take the time to consider and understand the people unlike yourself. The more we understand each other, the less we fear each other, and that line between different genders and races will blur. The other best way to diminish societal inequalities is to broaden media and market focus. There should be a market for all people of different shapes, sizes, and genders. There should be media representation of all people of different shapes, sizes, and genders. Not everything is or can be shaped to be black and white. The key is to check your privilege, learn about one another, and be representative of one another.
Michaels, Samantha. “It’s Incredibly Scary to Be a Transgender Woman of Color Right Now.” Mother Jones. Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress, 26 June 2016. Web. 17 Mar. 2017.