Among a transgender population that is already marginalized, transgender immigrants face even higher risks of discrimination and violence in employment, housing, health care, when seeking services, and even in their own home. Trans immigrants often have limited support systems, and find themselves shut out of jobs or education that could provide them with better opportunities. They are commonly denied the right to seek asylum or to be sponsored for lawful permanent residence by a partner. When placed in immigration detention, they frequently faced inhumane and dangerous conditions. This report describes these challenges in greater detail to aid advocacy organizations and policy makers in considering trans immigrants’ rights in their work toward Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Over the years, more and more cities and states have extended essential protections to LGBT people via non-discrimination laws. In response, anti-LGBT activists have attacked these laws by attempting to incite “bathroom panic”—an irrational fear that non-discrimination laws will compromise the safety of women and children in public restrooms. Because these claims can confuse those who favor non-discrimination protections, this guide provides ways in which individuals can remind people of the values that lead them to support non-discrimination laws and ways that they cannot correct these falsehoods quickly and factually.

Transgender people overall experience high levels of discrimination in every area of life, as well as high levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, negative interactions with police, incarceration, and violent victimization. As a result, many transgender people participate in the sex trade in order to earn income or as an alternative to relying on homeless shelters and food banks. The criminalizing and stigmatizing of sex work in the United States can worsen the discrimination and marginalization that transgender people already face in society. This report analyzes data to support these claims, and provides recommendations for what policy makers, legislators, and the community can do to help.

In the landmark civil rights case Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court struck down all remaining laws limiting the right to marry based on gender. This fact sheet answers commonly held questions about what this Supreme Court ruling means for transgender people.

During interactions with law enforcement, transgender people are prone to experiencing harassment, abuse, or other mistreatment by the police. This report evaluates police departments across the country by assessing factors such as non-discrimination statements, recognition of non-binary identities in applicable policies, use of respectful communication, recording information in department forms, search procedures, transportation, placement in temporary lock-up facilities, access to medication, removal of appearance related items, training, and bathroom access. For each topic, model policies are provided that can and should be adopted by police departments in collaboration with transgender leaders in their communities, in order to promote stronger and more fair policies when it comes to police interactions with transgender people.

In times of crisis, such as during the COVID-19 outbreak, trans, nonbinary people, and other vulnerable communities are at a higher risk of violence and discrimination. This guide has been prepared to ensure that trans and nonbinary people are aware of their legal rights and can make informed decisions about their safety, health, and well-being as the pandemic continues, by answering common questions and providing resources on where to file complaints.

Recent federal guidance and regulations have greatly strengthened the housing rights of transgender people. This document lists the housing rights of transgender people (including the laws that protect them), answers common questions, and outlines how they can file complaints of housing discrimination.

This document presents a model school district policy on transgender and gender nonconforming students, which outlines best practices for schools to ensure that all students are safe, included, and respected in school, regardless of their gender identity or expression. The model presents some policy objectives, key points, and alternatives to consider, and covers a wide range of issues. Model language in some example areas include prohibiting bullying, harassment, and discrimination on the basis of gender identity, calling for pronouns and school records to correspond with students’ expressed identity, and expanding professional development for staff.

Hate crimes are devastating events, both for the victim and for the community in which they occur. How we respond to them, as transgender advocates and allies, is very important. This manual provides you with some of the tools to create an effective response to a hate crime after it has happened in your community. This manual is designed to help you develop a comprehensive and integrated response to a hate crime. This involves working with the victim, friends and family, and the media; educating law enforcement officials; and coordinating with local activists, concerned community members, and sometimes with national organizations. Addressing each of these areas is essential in order to respond effectively to hate crimes. The manual includes model meeting and event planning worksheets, press kits, and other resources advocates will need to raise awareness in the general public.

Voting is a key part of our participation in society and having our voices heard in the issues that affect us all, and we have the right to vote regardless of gender identity. Having ID that doesn’t match your gender identity or presentation should not affect your right to cast a ballot, in any state. But with increasingly strict voter ID laws, trans people may face barriers— both because of difficulties in obtaining an ID that’s accepted, or because they might run into bias or misunderstandings of the law when it comes to their gender. As the fight against restrictive voter ID and other voter suppression laws continues, knowing your rights can help avoid or solve problems at the polls. Find out what your state’s laws are, what to expect at the polls, and what to do in case your right to vote is challenged.