How Many Adults Identify as Transgender in the United States

The Williams Institute; By Andrew R. Flores, Jody L. Herman, Gary J. Gates, and Taylor N. T. Brown:
June 2016

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/how-many-adults-identify-as-transgender-in-the-united-states/

Utilizing data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), which includes representative state-level surveys, Williams Institute scholars provide up-to-date estimates of the percentage and number of adults who identify as transgender in the United States. Approximately 0.6% of adults in the United States, or 1.4 million individuals, identify as transgender.

The study also provides the first ever state-level estimates of the number and percentage of adults who identify as transgender for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Differences exist in the percentage of adults who identify as transgender among the states, ranging from 0.3% in North Dakota to 0.8% in Hawaii. Differences by age also exist, with younger adults more likely to identify as transgender than older adults. An estimated 0.7% of adults ages 18 to 24, 0.6% of adults ages 25 to 64, and 0.5% of adults ages 65 and older identify as transgender.

Since these studies don't control for the effects of transphobia, all they measure is who identifies as transgender.  Not who actually is transgender.

I personally didn't identify as transgender until I was 57 and overcame my transphobia enough to come out.  I was always transgender from my first breath in this world, but I was under the radar of these studies for 57 years.

This is supported by the data itself:  greater incidence in blue states, lower incidence in red states

greater incidence in young people, lower incidence in older people.

The most recent Pew study on numbers of Americans who identify as LGBT does suggest that growing numbers of those identifying as LGBT may be explained by parallel increases in acceptance by Americans of those who so identify.  So, if true, as society accepts being LGBT, more will identify as LGBT.  (Not rocket science, admittedly).

Greater numbers of young people coming out indicate these trends will continue into the future.  Yes, history is on our side.

It also leaves out those who won't admit to being trans. No way I'd admit to anything in a survey.

Some nb people also don't consider themselves trans; even though trans means you don't identify with your birth gender; so that'll skew the results. That and many trans people choosing to become stealth. So the number should be much higher but I still think it's positive as it shows being trans isn't as uncommon as most people think it is.

Quote from: Jane Emily on June 14, 2017, 10:14:49 AM

This is supported by the data itself:  greater incidence in blue states, lower incidence in red states

greater incidence in young people, lower incidence in older people.

By looking at the map on the report, these don't seem to be the only factors. The south, overall is a lot darker blue than most of the midwest and great plains, and darker blue than traditionally purple states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.

I think the actual percentage is much higher, for the reasons the other posters mentioned, and that there are some people that sadly will stay in denial their whole life.

Certainly it stands to reason that transgendered people residing in a state that offers legal protections to that status might be less reluctant to declare themselves, than those in a state without legal protections.  Or with a legislature distinctly hostile to their interests.

Never heard of "Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)".

Like any surveys they can have wildly different results.  Just look at the pre-election voting surveys, they are frequently wrong.

I think many of the full time TG/TS are not included, as they are just living their lives.  Like my partner and I for the last 40 years.

It's accepted wisdom on crossdresser sites that one man out of 20 dresses. That's 5% right there.

Hugs, Devlyn

I wonder how many true transsexuals would be in USA if our social status, freedom of behaviour and expression (including as to how we dress or whether we use make up or not), work and pay, and our sexual lifestyle is not bound by sex assigned at birth but is equally acceptable by society for both sexes.


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While the overall progress is good, surveys that rely on traditional categories can hard-wire traditional bias into the results. 

In the past I was asked to provide an answer for my ethnic background, and I was allowed one answer.  But I don't fit a "racial binary" - I am half Japanese and half Welsh/UK. 

I was almost arrested in 1992 in a suburb of Seattle when I almost refused to sign a traffic ticket.  On my bicycle.  The officer asked what race I was as he was filling out his part of the ticket.  Instead of answering the question I asked why he needed to know.  He said the City of Bellevue included a survey as part of the ticket, and then he said "fine, you're Asian", checked that one box and handed me the ticket.  This was a few years after I had refused to fill out the US Census when I noticed it said "check one" for race. 

By refusing to provide an inaccurate answer on "check one" racial surveys I was invisible, and as a result that part of the country had a statistically larger majority.  The survey question helped perpetuate the traditional bias.

Quote from: elkie-t on June 26, 2017, 12:36:36 PM
I wonder how many true transsexuals would be in USA if our social status, freedom of behaviour and expression (including as to how we dress or whether we use make up or not), work and pay, and our sexual lifestyle is not bound by sex assigned at birth but is equally acceptable by society for both sexes.

It would probably be a whole lot more like Thailand.

Quote from: elkie-t on June 26, 2017, 12:36:36 PM
I wonder how many true transsexuals would be in USA

I guess you would need to define what "True Transsexuals" mean.

The question asked about "Transgender", which also means many things to many people. 

From Dr. Harry Benjamin's Gender Disorientation Scale the term "True Transsexual" is defined.

From Wickipedia:

"Transsexual people experience a gender identity that is inconsistent with, or not culturally associated with, their assigned sex, and desire to permanently transition to the gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (including hormone replacement therapy and other sex reassignment therapies) to help them align their body with their identified sex or gender.  Transsexual is generally considered a subset of transgender, but some transsexual people reject the label of transgender.  A medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria can be made if a person expresses a desire to live and be accepted as a member of their identified sex, or if a person experiences impaired functioning or distress as a result of their gender identity."

"Transgender people are people who have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their assigned sex. Transgender people are sometimes called transsexual if they desire medical assistance to transition from one sex to another. Transgender is also an umbrella term: in addition to including people whose gender identity is the opposite of their assigned sex (trans men and trans women), it may include people who are not exclusively masculine or feminine (people who are genderqueer, e.g. bigender, pangender, genderfluid, or agender).  Other definitions of transgender also include people who belong to a third gender, or conceptualize transgender people as a third gender.  Infrequently, the term transgender is defined very broadly to include cross-dressers, regardless of their gender identity."