Essay Example about Trans Women of Colour

Trans people, particularly trans women of colour have been subject to great injustice and have been left unheard and dismissed by a large portion of society. This discrimination has left many of these women facing financial instability, high rates of mental health issues, and sexual abuse. These issues will be addressed through the importance of understanding intersectionality and its implications on trans women of colour and looking at how society views anyone that does not identify as cisgendered and how this perpetuates discrimination towards these people. 

Intersectionality is the concept of overlapping social divisions such as race, gender, or class which perpetuates inequalities and discrimination. Kimberlé Crenshaw saw intersectionality as “an analytic sensibility, a way of thinking about identity and its relationship to power” (p.58). Many minority groups are not properly included in society, having to fight for their safety and rights against the groups who have more societal power. One of these marginalized groups are trans women of colour. As discussed in the video “Trans women of colour terrified of being targets for violence ask, ‘am I next?” (ABC News, 2019), the issues that trans women of colour face are often ignored by most. In the media, you often see representation for transgender women such as Kaitlyn Jenner or Jazz Jennings, but the majority of trans representation comes from white women, rarely women of colour. When trans women of colour try to speak up about gaining visibility for their community, they are oftentimes faced with violence. Malaysia Brooker was one of these women attempting to speak up for black trans women but was brutally beaten and murdered. The awareness surrounding discrimination directed at trans women of colour has been gradually changing towards their voices being heard, there is still much more racial injustice to be addressed in order for these women to live their lives without questioning whether they will be the next target. 

In modern society, there is often a preconceived notion among people that anyone that does not identify as a cisgendered person has deviated from what is considered ‘normal’ and therefore is at a greater risk for facing violence and discrimination. As stated by Miller and Grollman (2015), “that the social penalties for gender non-conformity do not stem from the individual failings of transgender people; rather, it is a social problem that takes its root in structures that do not permit gender non-conformity on the part of social actors” (p.811). Trans women of colour are one among many of the marginalized groups that struggle with being seen as ‘invisible’ and their stories are often discarded by society. This gives rise to many of these women dealing with mental health issues and self-harm. As a result of the discrimination and violence trans women of colour face, many have had difficulties getting jobs and therefore have turned to what they call “survival sex work.” This places them in a great position of vulnerability, and it would eventually cause 23-year-old Zoe Spears to lose her life. The epidemic of violence that targets trans women of colour takes the lives of countless women all around the world, and it is a serious issue that must be addressed and taken more seriously. 

In conclusion, trans women of colour are marginalized in our society and are at greater risk of experiencing injustice and inequality. This discrimination has caused many of these women to lose their lives and left their voiced unheard. This is a major issue that trans women face, and it is essential that awareness is brought to the violence they are put through so we can find ways better ways to stop the problem and allow these women to live their lives free from wondering if they are going to be the next victim. 

References 

ABC News. (2019). Trans women of color terrified of being targets for violence ask 'am I next?': Part 1 | ABC News. Retrieved February 15, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_bre2DPD1A. 

Hobbs, M., Rice, C., & Crenshaw, K. (2018). Why Intersectionality Can't Wait. In Gender and women's studies: Critical terrain (pp. 57–59). essay, Women's Press. 

Miller, L. R., & Grollman, E. A. (2015). The social costs of gender nonconformity for transgender adults: Implications for discrimination and Health. Sociological Forum, 30(3), 809–831. https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.12193.