Many transgender people living in Taiwan have experienced obstacles or misunderstandings in their daily lives, workplace and medical facilities, according to a report released at a news conference on Thursday.
Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association secretary-general Peng Chih-liu (彭治鏐) said that transgender people face many sources of stress and obstacles, which affect how they interact and connect with society.
Transgender is “an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth,” according to the American Psychological Association.
Of the 832 transgender people surveyed on their experiences in daily life, employment and medical facilities in 2022 and last year, 8 percent had officially changed their gender on their ID, the report showed.
Most transgender people avoid visiting public spaces such as spas, swimming pools and gyms, which are divided along gender lines, it showed.
More than half felt uncomfortable using public washrooms and about one-third said they would rather experience discomfort than use the facilities, the survey showed.
Difficulties can also arise in places where proof of identification is needed, such as polling stations, it said.
Seventeen percent of transgender people were turned down from a job due to their identity, it said.
Viva, a transgender woman, at the news conference said that she was offered a job, but her superior then faced a backlash for “hiring someone of dubious gender.”
A transgender man named Deven also shared his experiences of coworkers speculating about his gender when they learned of his assigned sex, with some calling him a “hermaphrodite.”
At medical facilities, 14 percent reported feeling stared at and gossiped about, while 56 percent said they had been misgendered by medical personnel.
Twenty-one percent of transgender people dress as their assigned sex to avoid social conflicts.
The report added that sometimes experiences such as these can even hinder people from seeking necessary medical treatment.
On a more positive note, Peng said that those who receive support and understanding from friends and family tend to be more resilient.
The report concluded by calling for more education as well as more effort from the government and companies to improve the public’s understanding of the transgender community.
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