Transgender Awareness Week is an annual celebration that occurs November 13-19 every year and culminates in the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on November 20. This is a time to increase awareness of the struggles trans people face and educate people about what it means to be transgender. Around 1.6 percent of all adults and around 5 percent of adults under the age of 30 in the United States say their assigned gender does not match how they identify. At Palms Behavioral Health in Harlingen, Texas, we believe everyone deserves good mental health, regardless of their gender identity.
What is Transgender Day of Remembrance?
TDOR is set aside to remember trans people who have been lost to violence. Vigils are held to honor those who have died and bring awareness about anti-transgender violence. Often, vigils include reading a list of names of those who have been killed.
Terminology Related to Trans Identities
Around 44 percent of Americans say that they know someone who is transgender, but if you are one of the 56 percent of people who have never met anyone who is trans, you might not be familiar with the terminology used to discuss gender identity:
- Gender identity – This is how a person views their own gender, which may or may not match the gender they were assigned at birth.
- Transgender – This term applies to someone who was assigned a gender at birth, usually based upon their visible genitals, that does not align with the way they see themselves.
- AFAB – This acronym stands for “assigned female at birth” and is sometimes used to describe transgender men or nonbinary people who society would largely describe as female.
- AMAB – This is an acronym for “assigned male at birth” and is sometimes used to describe transgender women or nonbinary people who society would typically define as male.
- Nonbinary – Someone who is nonbinary may consider themselves as falling under the umbrella of transgender, but they may not see themselves as either male or female, or they might identify as a combination of the two.
- Gender fluid – Someone who does not experience their gender in the same way from one day to the next.
- Intersex – In the past, the term “hermaphrodite” was used to describe people born with ambiguous genitalia or genitalia that is both male and female, but intersex is now the preferred term.
- Cisgender – This refers to someone who was labeled male or female at birth and whose gender identity aligns with that gender.
- Gender expression – How a person presents themselves may or may not “match” the gender they were assigned at birth or their internal perception of their gender. For example, a person’s birth certificate could say that they are male, but they may see themselves as female. They may elect to wear dresses, make-up, and long hair, or they may choose to avoid these things and grow facial hair, or they may do some combination of the above. They may choose to speak in a higher or lower voice or use body language that is typically expected of a man or a woman.
- Gender transition – This can refer to a number of different changes that people make when they begin to live according to their gender identity. Some people only choose to transition in one or two of these ways, while others might do all of the things listed:
- Wearing different clothing or hairstyles
- Using a different name in daily life
- Updating vital records, such as their legal name, birth certificate, driver’s license, and social security card
- Taking puberty blockers to halt sexual development
- Hormone replacement therapy to alter their body’s appearance
- Surgical procedures to make their body align more closely with their gender identity
Threats to Trans Mental Health
There are a number of difficulties that trans people are at increased risk of experiencing, which can make it more challenging for them to avoid mental illness. Some of these difficulties include:
- Increased risk of sexual abuse – trans people have a 50-66 percent chance of being victims of sexual assault in their lifetimes, and some subpopulations within the trans community (trans youth, trans people with disabilities, people of color who are trans, homeless trans individuals, etc.) are at even higher risk
- Increased risk of physical assault – this includes hate crimes that target them specifically because they are LGBT+, which can also involve harassment, stalking, and vandalism
- Disapproval at a societal level – for example, legislation meant to control the behaviors of trans people or which presume immoral or illegal behaviors by trans people.
At Palms Behavioral Health, we use evidence-based, trauma-informed practices to treat adolescents, adults, and seniors who are struggling with mental health. Each patient we serve has an individualized treatment plan, designed to meet their unique needs.
