A Snapshot of the Experiences of Cross-Dressers
Education
Public Accommodation
Because cross-dressers made up only 11% of our overall sample, the sample size of those who were also open about their gender non-conforming status in school was too small to offer meaningful analysis. We can say, however, that 58% of cross-dressers who expressed a transgender identity or gender non-conformity in school experienced some type of problem, including harassment, physical or sexual assault, or expulsion.
Cross-dressers reported denial of equal treatment and harassment when accessing public accommodation. Of the settings we studied, equal service was denied most often at retail stores (22%) and hotels and restaurants (11%) with troubling rates of denial of equal treatment reported when interacting with government agencies/officials (7%), police (7%), and judges or court officials (4%). Respondents also reported denial of equal treatment when taking buses/ trains/taxis (5%) and accessing rape crisis centers (3%).
Employment Respondents who identify as cross-dressers reported faring better in the workplace than the overall sample, likely due to higher rates of visual conformity and their much lower rates of being out at work. Only 7% reported being unemployed, which was the unemployment level in the general population during the period of data collection. Thirty-eight percent (38%) reported a household income of $50,000-100,000 per year with another 25% reporting $100,000 per year or above. These household income levels were much higher than the full sample, of which 41% percent earns $50,000 or more annually. Seven percent (7%) of cross-dressers reported household income of $10,000 annually or less, a rate that is higher than the general population’s experience of very low household income (4%), and much lower than the full sample (15%). However, cross-dressers do experience a range of bias-related negative experiences in the workplace: 13% reported losing a job because of bias, 34% reported harassment at work, 12% reported being denied a promotion, 18% were denied a job they applied for, 4% reported physical assault, and 6% reported sexual assault. The rates of these negative workplace experiences are all lower than the overall sample, except for sexual assault, which was approximately the same. Thirty percent (30%) reported that private information was shared about them by coworkers or supervisors. Eighty percent (80%) reported that they have hidden their gender or gender transition and 56% have delayed transition. Twenty-seven percent (27%) reported being underemployed. Seven percent (7%) have participated in the underground economy for household income (compared to 16% for the overall sample), including 4% doing sex work and 3% in drug sales.
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“I was intentionally discriminated against by a motel owner. He told me that he would not give me a room because I was a crossdresser, and to leave the property or he was going to call the police and tell them that a hooker was in the parking lot selling drugs.”
Harassment was also a major problem. Twenty-two percent (22%) said they had been harassed in a retail store, 11% when using buses, trains or taxis, 11% by hotel/restaurant personnel, 12% by government agencies, 7% by judges or court officials, 8% by airline/airport personnel or the TSA, 8% in doctor’s offices or hospitals, and 3% when accessing ambulances.
Housing Fifty-eight percent (58%) reported living in a home that they own; this is nearly twice the rate of home ownership as the full sample, and 9 percentage points under the national average. Twenty-seven percent (27%) reported living in a space that they rented. Five percent (5%) reported living in a home that is owned by a partner/spouse, 3% reported living with family or friends temporarily, and 1% reported living in campus housing. Twenty-three percent (23%) of respondents who are crossdressers reported having moved into a less expensive home/ apartment because of being transgender or gender nonconforming, 7% had become homeless at some point because of bias, 4% reported eviction, 6% were denied an apartment/home, 14% had to find different places to sleep for short periods of time, and 8% had sex in exchange for housing or a place to stay.