Transgender Awareness Week
A study was conducted by the Williams Institute in June 2016 and concluded that 0.6% of the U.S. population (1.4 million) identify themselves as transgender. Trans people face many issues within their community that causes them to feel like they are in danger and are unsafe. A survey found that 50% of trans people claim to have been raped or assaulted by a romantic partner. Trans people have been murdered simply for being trans, in addition to their loved ones and/or friends because of being involved with them. Some trans women were arrested for fighting back against their attacker. Trans women and supporters formerly united with one another and took stands against discrimination towards trans people by holding riots. Transgender Awareness Week established in response to these killings and imprisonments in order to highlight the challenges faced by trans people.
Transgender youth
Discrimination in the United States is considered illegal, however each state has the right to handle the offense differently. Many transgender youth constantly face struggles in attempting to transition and to be accepted in the U.S. According to the Human Rights Campaign, in 32 states an individual can be fired for being transgender and in 33 states an individual can be refused housing. Transgender people are also disproportionately targeted for hate crimes. One report studying data from 1995-1999 found that 20% of transgender people who were murdered were victims of anti-transgender hate-crimes. Anti-transgender violence also caused 40% of police reports by the transgender population. In 2013, the state of California signed a bill in to legislation titled the School Success and Opportunity Act giving transgender students the full rights and opportunities that their cisgender peers are granted. For individuals who are minors, if their parents consent, they are able to begin receiving puberty blockers at a young age and later receive cross sex hormones and then transitional surgeries upon turning 18 years of age. For those who are not minors, they are able to participate in any body altering transitional experience that they desire if they are able to financially afford it and after going through a year of therapy to affirm this decision, but will have to jump over several hurdles for it to also be legally marked. America as a whole hasn't accepted the idea of transgender people, however individual states are making progress toward increasing the rights of the transgender population. The west and north-eastern states are currently the most tolerant of the transgender population and have the most laws to protect those individuals.