Discrimination against transgender individuals has a major impact on their financial and economic security. Trans individuals in particular are 3 times as likely to face unemployment as the overall US labor force, with 1/5 experiencing housing discrimination, and 1/3 living in poverty. Gender and racial disparities place additional disadvantage, with 34% of Black trans women facing housing insecurity, compared to 9% of non-Black trans people.
These economic disadvantages make trans people far more vulnerable to systemic threats of violence. Even though trans women of color make up only 18% of the transgender community, they account for 4/5 anti-transgender homicides. Transgender people are also 3 times more likely than the rest of the population to experience police violence. If incarcerated, trans people are 10 times as likely to be sexually assaulted by fellow inmates, often as a result of being placed in housing that is incongruent with their gender identity.
Transphobic policies also prevent trans inmates from receiving necessary medical treatment while incarcerated. Additionally, in several states, gender affirmation healthcare and services are considered “cosmetic” and therefore are not required to be covered by many insurance plans. Planned Parenthood is one of the only organizations that provides non-discriminatory, knowledgeable, and respectful healthcare services for the transgender community.
The Freedom Dividend would be a game-changer for members of the community because it would help make it easier for people to leave environments that are unsupportive, hostile, or dangerous and move to environments that are more welcoming and supportive. It would reduce homelessness and the need for trans women to engage in risky forms of employment that put their safety at risk. Empowering people economically is only a piece of the solution to eliminate discrimination, but it’s an essential start to giving people the power to make choices and care for themselves.
Problems to be Solved
- checkMembers of the trans community, especially trans women of color, are at high risk for homelessness, poverty, violence, and incarceration.
- checkThe failure of our systems to include transgender people excludes them from basic freedoms and dignity.
- I think when you look at any group that’s marginalized, economic marginalization is always a big aspect of it and you can see it with transgender community members, where a lot of it involves getting pushed out of places of employment, not getting hired, not getting promoted, not getting raises.
Goals
- checkEnd the systemic threat and real violence against the trans community
- checkRemove barriers to gender-affirming healthcare
- checkSupport transgender individuals economically with the Freedom Dividend
As President I will...
- Equip law enforcement to better identify and address hate-motivated violence, and provide officers with victim sensitivity training.
- Improve the treatment of transgender inmates by providing adequate gender-affirming healthcare and ensuring gender-appropriate housing for inmates.
- Ensure access to non-discriminatory gender-affirming healthcare and services.
- Ensure the Freedom Dividend is effectively received by the most vulnerable communities.