TRANSGENDER

The term transgender describes anyone who lives their life identifying as and expressing a different gender than the one assigned to them at birth.1

THE UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU

Doesn’t ask individuals to identify their gender identity, so it provides little insight into the transgender population.2

transgender people living in the UNITED STATES.3

1.4 MILLIONThere are an estimated

of adults aged18-64 identified as transgender.

0.6%

actually take steps to transition from one gender to another.3

0.1-0.5%

States with the HIGHEST percentages of adults identifying as transgender:4

HAWAII

CALIFORNIA

GEORGIA

NEW MEXICO

Gender identity and sexual orientation are not the same. Sexual orientation refers to an individual’s enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to another person, whereas gender identity refers to one’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else.5

GENDER IDENTITY AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION

What does it mean?

People who transition often start by expressing their preferred gender in situations where they feel safe.

Every transgender person’s process or transition differs. Because of this, many factors may determine how the individual wishes to live and express their gender identity.5

HOW DO PEOPLE MAKEA GENDER TRANSITION?

HOW DOES SOMEONE KNOW THAT THEY ARE TRANSGENDER?Transgender people experience their transgender identity in a variety of ways and may become aware of it at any age. Some can trace their transgender identities and feelings back to their earliest memories. They may have vague feelings of “not fitting in” with people of their assigned sex or specific wishes to be something other than their assigned sex. 5

Children get cues early on from parents about appropriate behavior, and internalize them. Kids of this age start to get the idea that there is a part of themselves that must remain hidden.

EARLY CHILDHOOD

PUBERTYThis is a particularly hard age, since the body begins to change and adapt gender specific features. Many trangender individuals are aware of their gender discomfort by this age.

With emotional and financial independence some people begin to address transgender issues at this age and look into transitioning.

EARLY ADULTHOOD

LATER ADULTHOODSome transgender individuals put off transitioning until later in life when they feel able to do so. This can be satisfying. In addition there can be regret about having lived so long in an unwanted gender.6

episodes and non-recurring storylines of scripted television were observed that contained transgender characters.

of those were categorized as containing negative representations at the time of their airing.7

MEDIA PORTRAYALS

102 54%

recorded since 2013

Caitlyn Jenner’s transition has had an enormous and historic impact for not only the Transgender community but the world. It opened the discussion of Transgender issues more so than ever before on a national scale.8

The first season of Transparent, earned rave reviews from critics, but, more impressively and unexpectedly, became a conversation starter for a dialogue that was long overdue about the transgender community.9

Laverne Cox, a transgender actress who plays Sophia, on Netflix’s show Orange is the New Black, has become a touchstone for the transgender community. She claimed the cover of a recent Time Magazine story about the transgender civil rights movement.10

NeuTRAL STYLEFASHIONBeing transgender can present some particular challenges when shopping for clothes. Some companies such as Zara, Target, and J Crew have started to embrace and create gender-neutral clothing, while others are specifically tailored to the transgender market.11

NiK Kacy, who identifies as genderfluid, has always gravitated towards men’s shoe styles. Kacy saw an oppertunity to create gender-neutral shoes in a range of sizes.12

“Style should not be defined by gender”

Kacy launched a Kickstarter campaign in February with a goal of raising $36,000

Ultimately receiving

$47,542

BATHROOM DEBATEThe debate around which bathrooms transgender people should use has given rise to deeper questioning of why we even have a norm of gender segregation for bathrooms in the first place.

Target said it will spend $20 million to add a private bathroom to each of its stores by next year, after customer protests of its policy allowing transgender individuals to use whichever restroom corresponds with their gender identity.

Most of Target’s 1,797 locations already have single-occupancy or unisex restrooms, but it will add the option to 277 stores by November and to about 20 remaining stores by March 2017, the company said on Wednesday.14

BRANDs THAT CARE

are likely to consider a brand that supports nonprofits or causes important to them.

81%

of LGBT consumers are brand affiliated and are highly likely to seek out brands that advertise to them.

89%

are likely to consider a brand that is known to provide equal workplace benefits to ALL of their employees.16

92%

DO’S & DONT’S

There are definite benefits for brands that support the trasngender community. The challenge lies in being authentic with consumers.16

DO Recognize that LGBT people come from all races, ages, ethnicities, nationalities, incomes, political and religious affiliations, professions, physical abilities, and gender expressions. Whenever possible, incorporate such diversity into their representations.

DO treat them as normal people...because they are! Succeed with transgender consumers, who are moving more into the mainstream every day, by focusing more on their daily lives, financial and family concerns, and less on their lifestyle.

DO be subtle and ambiguous towards individuals, and relationships, small gestures including “partner” in place of “husband/wife” for instance, go a long way.

DONT “window dress” in an attempt to be inclusive. (ex. using models or actors to portray a transgender person, who may not actually be in real life.)

DONT assume or insinuate with visuals and language (ex. “gay lifestyle” is frequently heard however, the term carries with it the notion that being LGBT is merely a lifestyle choice rather than an innate component of one’s being, as well the assumption that the entire LGBT community is a monolithic audience.)

Visibility, especially positive images of transgenderpeople in the media and society continue to make a critical difference for transgenders. That is why the Human Rights Campaign is committed to continuing to support and advocate for the transgender community, so that the transgender Americans who are and willbecome your friends, neighbors, coworkers and family members have an equal chance to succeed and thrive.15

PUSHING CULTURE INTOGREATER ACCEPTANCE TRANSGENDERISM

1. https://www.census.gov/srd/carra/15_03_Likely_Transgender_

Individuals_in_ARs_and_2010Census.pdf. (2016, October 24)

2. Marketing to the T: Brands get inclusive of transgender consumers in

LGBT marketing | PR Week. (2016, October 26).

3. http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Gates-How-

Many-People-LGBT-Apr-2011.pdf. (2016, October 24).

4. 1.4 Million Adults Identify As Transgender In America, Study Says : The

Two-Way : NPR. (2016, October 24).

5. Answers to Your Questions About Transgender People, Gender

Identity, and Gender Expression. (2016, November 17).

6. “Basic Issues in Transgender Mental Health | Transgender Mental

Health,” 24 Oct. 2016.

7. GLAAD Examines Ten Years of Transgender Images on Television; More

than Half Were Negative or Defamatory | GLAAD. (2016, November 16).

8. The 5 Ad Campaigns That Have Redefined Beauty (So Far This Year) |

SELF. (2016, October 30).

9. “Transparent” Returns: The Great Power and Great Responsibility of

TV’s Best Show - The Daily Beast. (2016, November 13).

10. Laverne Cox and the State of Trans Representation in Pop Culture |

US News. (2016, November 10)

11. How can someone who is transgender shop for clothes in the

women’s clothing department/stores? - Quora. (2016, October 24).

12. These retailers are betting on transgender customers. (2016,

November 14).

13. State sex-segregated facilities legislation - Associated Press

Interactive. (2016, October 24).

14. Target Adds Private Bathrooms to Quell Transgender Debate - WSJ.

(2016, November 12)

15. Understanding the Transgender Community | Human Rights

Campaign. (2016, October 24).

16. http://www.independentagent.com/Resources/StaffDevelopment/

Diversity/SiteAssets/DiversityTrainingSeries/training-series-materials/

GLBT-Marketing-Guide.pdf. (2016, November 17).

CITATIONS

Frank Stewart, Ben Leary, Taylor Giordano

Fall Semester 2016

ADES 202 Concept & Communication and GDES 239 Graphic Design I

Vivian Owen and Jeff Bleitz Instructors