Trans Info

1. Trans Info The absolute basics on transgender issues in libraries James Parrott Lewis & Clark Library

2. Vocabulary/terminology • Gender identity: • How an individual identifies in terms of their gender. This is internal and not visible to others. • Gender expression: • How people communicate (express) their gender identity to others such as through behavior, clothing, hair style, voice and emphasizing, de-emphasizing or changing physical characteristics. • Transgender: • People whose gender identify differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. • Cisgender: • People whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.

3. FTM (female-to-male): • Someone assigned female at birth, but whose gender identity is male; a trans man. • MTF (male-to-female): • Someone assigned male at birth, but whose gender identity is female; a trans woman. • Non-binary / Genderqueer / genderfluid: • Someone whose gender identity does not conform to the traditional male or female identity/expression. • Members of indigenous communities sometimes use the term Two-Spirit. • Transitioning: • The process of changing gender expression to match gender identity.

4. Pronouns • People get to choose their pronouns. • It is generally better to ask if uncertain: • “What are your pronouns?” • “What pronouns do you use?” • People who are non-binary often (not always) go with they/them/theirs. • They know this isn’t strictly grammatical. No one needs to tell them. • That said, proponents of the singular ‘they’ include Shakespeare and Jane Austen. • https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/grammar/using-they-and-them-in-the-singular

5. Bathrooms • Transgender people have been using the facilities that match their gender identity for a very long time. This is not new! • The current heightened “concern” in this area is likely due to two things: • Greater community visibility/more people who are able to transition. • Backlash against LGBT marriage rights and other civil rights gains. • Many states have attempted to pass laws to prevent stop people from using the bathroom that aligns with their affirmed gender. • These attempts have largely been unsuccessful and/or incredibly costly.

6. Sexual orientation • Sexual orientation is not the same as gender identity. • Sexual orientation = describes who you are attracted to. • Gender identity = describes who you are. • “Why would someone be transgender if that doesn’t make them straight?” • It doesn’t work that way. • People may not have a comfortable way to describe their orientation, especially in a situation where they feel their gender identity is not respected.

7. Intersectionality • The interconnected nature of social categorizations. • People who are transgender often have other identities that influence their experience of society. • Race, ethnicity, national origin, ability, immigration status, sexual orientation, etc. • Some people in the community have more/less privilege than others. • Women of color in the transgender community, for instance, tend to be much more vulnerable than men or women who are perceived as non-minority members. • It’s also important to realize that being transgender is not the entirety of a person’s identity.

8. Transitioning • Not everyone chooses to transition. • This is due to a variety of circumstances, including fear of family rejection, job loss, or violence. • Social transition • Changing gender expression (appearance) to match gender identity. • Changing name and pronouns. • Examples: • FTM – chest binding, shorter hair, prosthetics • MTF – tucking, wigs, makeup, electrolysis

9. Hormones • Testosterone for FTM • Lower voice pitch, more body hair, greater muscle mass, reallocation of body fat, and other changes. • Estrogen and Spironolactone for MTF • Growth of breasts, less body hair, reduction of muscle mass, reallocation of body fat, and other changes. • Hormone blockers • Delaying puberty for transgender youth.

10. Surgery • There is no one, single surgery. • Not all transgender people have or want to have surgeries. • Many who do face barriers to treatment. • The term “sex change” is considered inappropriate now. • It is generally considered impolite to ask someone what surgeries they’ve had or are planning to have. • If you really want to know about gender confirmation surgeries, Youtube is a much less invasive way to learn. • Books are also available.

11. Transitioning usually takes several years, depending on: • Access to care • Quality of care • Affordability • Individual response to hormones • There is no such thing as an easy transition. • A lot of road blocks exist for people trying to access hormones or have surgery. • Early transitionis the most awkward and dangerous time of a transgender person’s life, when we are most vulnerable discrimination, harassment, violence, and medical issues.

12. Statistics • 1.4 million people in the US are transgender. • This number has doubled in the last decade. • This does not include children and teens. • Nationally, about 1 in every 137 teenagers. • Non-binary identities are the fastest growing. • 40% of Americans know someone who is transgender. • The state with the largest % of the population identifying as transgender is Hawaii. • Smallest? North Dakota. • Largest overall population, California.

13. The grimmer statistics • 19% experience homelessness. • 4X more likely to live in poverty. • 3X more likely to be unemployed. • ??% refused medical treatment. • Numbers vary widely, but this is a growing concern. • 22% denied equal treatment by a government agency. • Let’s not be that agency! • 59% avoided using a public restroom during the past year because they were afraid of potential confrontations.

14. 57% experience family rejection. • Teens are 3X more likely to be abused. • Trans people are 3.7X more likely to experience police violence. • 41% attempt suicide. • How many commit suicide? No one knows. • Trans women are disproportionately victims of homicide; few stats exist to give scope to this issue. • In 2015, 67% of people who died in violent hate crimes against LGBTQ people were transgender women. • Unerased: Counting Transgender Lives: https://mic.com/unerased

15. Transgender Day of Remembrance • Started in 1999 • Observed on November 20th each year. • One way to observe the day – reading of the names of those who lost their lives to violence during the year. • The majority of those people are transgender women of color. • 27 deaths in 2016. • 28 deaths in 2017. • 26 deaths in 2018.

16. International Transgender Day of Visibility • Started in 2009. • Observed on March 31st • Day of Visibility exists to celebrate the lives and accomplishments of transgender people. • It’s sometimes a hard sell because the average transgender person does not want to be visible.

17. Now for the library part… • You will eventually encounter someone who is transgender. • You may or may not know it. • You are now equipped with vocabulary, history, culture, and other knowledge that will help them and you make the most of that encounter. • Here are some ways to put that knowledge to use:

18. Improving services • If your library collects gender information, please stop. • Respect the difficulty associated with transitioning. • ID may not match name/gender expression. • 44% of people have updated their name; 29% have updated gender markers. • More than one-third have not done so due to cost. • Create a policy/procedure that helps ensure access to information and services for people in this situation. • Don’t challenge people’s gender identity.

19. Please use a person’s name and pronouns. • Why? Because it’s polite and easy. • It is the first and best thing you can do for someone who is transitioning. • If you use the wrong pronouns or name, just quickly apologize and move on. • It’s embarrassing for us. No need to make a big deal out of it. • Think of it like mispronouncing a name. Say it right. Move on. • Not everyone will correct you. • This is especially true for people early in their transition and younger people (kids, teens).

20. Consider including your pronouns on your name tags. • Why? Because this tells us something about you. • What? Mostly that you’re aware of gender issues and potentially that you’re an ally. • Consider adding your pronouns to your email signature. • Same reasons as above. • Models inclusivity to others. • Consider doing the same thing when doing introductions in a meeting. • This is harder, but it can help avoid awkward moments or guessing the pronouns of unfamiliar people. • My name is ______. My pronouns are _______.

21. If your library blocks YouTube, consider not doing that. • Why? • YouTube is a cultural and informational repository for the trans community. • Young people go there to learn about transitioning. • And to see people like them leading full, healthy, normal lives into adulthood. • YouTube age-restricts a lot of our content. • This is problematic in an ethical sense, but most young people can work around it. • We also get a lot of support through Twitter. • Also, if you filter the Internet, are you excluding community content by filtering words like: • Cis, transgender, FTM, MTF, queer, etc.

22. Bathrooms • A gender neutral or all-gender bathroom can be very helpful. • These are especially good for those who are: • early in their transition • don’t pass well in their affirmed gender • non-binary or gender nonconforming • Not every library can have an all-gender bathroom. • Building limitations/codes • Space limitations • Allowing people to use the bathroom that matches their affirmed gender is incredibly important. • This should not be difficult or a big deal.

23. Awareness & Representation • Consider collecting some materials on transgender lives and experiences. • Books, movies, documentaries, etc. • E-books on the topic are available through MontanaLibrary2Go. • Other states may have similar resources. • Most review publications include book reviews on these topics. • Right now, a lot is being published.

24. Consider doing something for Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20th). • Even if you think you don’t have any transgender library users. • Partnering with PFLAG or a high school GSA or other related organization may make this easier. • Ideas: • Book display • Moment of silence • Book discussion group • Screening a film or documentary

25. Staff • Don’t be afraid to hire transgender staff. • In my experience, the public will simply ignore the difference. • Other staff will generally be respectful. • Transgender staff just want to fit in and be accepted. • Our medical needs do not exceed those of cisgender people, generally speaking. • Rumors of our medical burden are greatly exaggerated.

26. Respect staff privacy (just like you would with a library user) • There is LITERALLY no polite way to ask someone about sensitive areas of their bodies. • Please don’t share medical or other personal information. Just because we told you something, doesn’t mean we want to tell everyone. • Don’t disclose our status as a transgender person to other people. • Especially library users. • This can be a safety concern. • Basically, don’t “out” us to other people.

27. Don’t police our gender expression. • What does that mean? • If you are starting a sentence, “Men/women don’t (or do) X…” Stop! • Examples: • “Men don’t worry about their hair going gray.” • “Women don’t talk about fly fishing so much.” • “You look too feminine with painted nails.” • “Facial hair makes you look too masculine.” • If you hear other staff using the wrong name or pronouns… • Don’t tell us. • Tell them. • The same goes for slurs.

28. Politics and elections • In 2017, 10 transgender political candidates won elections. • Many of these wins were unexpected. • In 2018, 51 transgender candidates were on the ballot. • 9 of them won their elections. • An estimated 75% of the transgender community participates in activism. • This is frequently a path to running for office. • Someday, your community may have a transgender county commissioner, city councilperson, mayor, representative, etc. • This is not just a message for big cities. • It might be nice if your library is already a welcoming place for all members of the community.

29. Questions?

30. Contact Info James Parrott Lewis & Clark Library jparrott@lclibrary.org (406) 447-6680