The most recent United States Transgender Survey’s preliminary studies were released by the National Center for Transgender Equality yesterday, providing a snapshot—or perhaps an image of an impression—of the populations, attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of the 92,329 trans people who identify as such.
The main findings include a demographic overview (trans-identified people are whiter than the US population as a whole), an analysis of how people self-identify (35 percent of the sample identified as trans women, 25 percent were trans men, and 38% were non-binary, with crossdressers rounding out the final 2%), as well as satisfaction with life after transition.
Additionally, there were intriguing gems buried in the findings. For instance, 17.6% of transgender-identified people who have children say they also have a trans child. According to reporter Evan Urquhart, “[i]n some ways that figure is quite large” and perhaps helps “the hypothesis that some aspects of gender identity may be physically genetic.” There are other explanations, such as the idea that parents who are trans identifying will inevitably have an impact on their kids’ self-perceptions.
The survey’s some drawbacks, including the fact that the sample was not randomly selected and might not be a representative sample of trans-identified Americans, are acknowledged by the researchers. The possibility of winning monetary awards encouraged respondents to join, and they were recruited through transgender advocacy organizations, gay support groups, wellness centers, online communities, etc. There were no mechanisms in place to prevent respondents from participating multiple times, increasing their chances of winning prizes and skewing the results (the last time this survey was conducted, back in 2015), and there is no evidence to suggest that researchers took any steps to verify participants’ identities and prevent repeat responses.
The campaigners wasted no time in mobilizing these most recent findings for the cause. However, none of the arguments for including the USTS study statistics are resolved. Yet as activists use the survey’s findings as a “gotcha” to outlets reporting on unfavorable change outcomes or highlighting the rapid increase of trans identification among teenage females, it avoids important questions about detransition and desistance.
Yes, 94% of adult respondents say they are significantly or slightly more content with their life now that they have transitioned. However, if you only poll those who currently identify as transgender (as the USTS does), you eliminate unfavorable results. You can achieve equally excellent results by asking energetic Moonies what they think of the Unification Church. If you include previous users, the image will look very different. Therefore, 94% of adult respondents who have been identified as transgender do not, in fact, provide any information regarding the number of adolescents and young adults who may later regret their transition. Not to mention the strong arguments made by sunk costs. It is terrible to question whether transition is effective because of the sacrifices individuals make on the altar of it—removing healthy body parts, sacrificing potential fertility, and giving up sexual function.
88% of respondents who claimed to have undergone “gender-affirming” surgery said they were “a lot more satisfied” afterward. However, patient satisfaction is a notoriously unreliable indicator of how well-functioning an intervention that is marketed as treatment for health conditions actually was. The use of patient satisfaction critiques the unreliable state of transgender clinics rather than more trustworthy measures like ability to function in society and symptom management. Although activists claim that these procedures are “life-saving,” patient satisfaction is the true yardstick by which we evaluate plastic surgery’s outcomes, not treatments like insulin therapy or chemotherapy.
The survey also identifies issues that almost everyone could find something to be concerned about: 30% of respondents said they had experienced homelessness, 11% claimed to have lost their job as a result of their gender identity or expression, 48% reported having negative experiences with healthcare providers, including physical abuse, and 24% said their fear of such mistreatment prevented them from seeking medical care. 60% of the 16 and 17-year-olds surveyed said they had problems at school, including abuse and harassment.
The public’s support for activist causes like enrolling boys in girls’ sports and implementing medically invasive hormonal and surgical interventions for adolescents is quickly eroding. However, a program centered on issues like bullying in schools, homelessness, and discrimination in the workplace and healthcare systems would probably garner widespread sympathy and support. These problems directly affect the safety and dignity of transgender people, and they don’t call for the adoption of gender metaphysical beliefs or the presumption of sex. If trans activists decide to start looking for a connection, this is it.
