Name: Candice
Ethnicity: black
Gender: transgender woman
Sexuality: heterosexual
Age: 24
SES: low
Ethnicity: black
Gender: transgender woman
Sexuality: heterosexual
Age: 24
SES: low
Candice is a black trans woman living in shelters for the homeless. Having been fired from her last two jobs, where she was physically assaulted, she is currently unemployed but seeking employment. After coming out to her parents at 17, she was kicked out and has been scraping by on her own ever since. Even when employed, she lives in extreme poverty on less than $10 000 a year.
What are the odds of Candice’s socio-economic situation?
More than four in ten black transgender individuals have experienced homelessness, more than five times as much as the general rate in America (Grant et al., 2011) . In Candice’s case, it has to do with both the fact that she was kicked out of her parents’ home and the common experience of having been refused housing due to discrimination, something 38% of black transgender individuals report having faced. That Candice is able to access shelter is already fortunate, as two in five black transgenders will be turned away.
Moreover, the extreme poverty rate among black transgender individuals is at 34%, the highest among all transgenders and more than eight times of that among all Americans. She is one of the 32% who have lost a job and almost half who were not hired for a job due to transphobic bias. There are many like Candice, who find themselves without a job, without a home and generally without a secure livelihood while having to deal with the threat of facing rejection and harassment as a transgender individual, especially as a transgender woman.
More than four in ten black transgender individuals have experienced homelessness, more than five times as much as the general rate in America (Grant et al., 2011) . In Candice’s case, it has to do with both the fact that she was kicked out of her parents’ home and the common experience of having been refused housing due to discrimination, something 38% of black transgender individuals report having faced. That Candice is able to access shelter is already fortunate, as two in five black transgenders will be turned away.
Moreover, the extreme poverty rate among black transgender individuals is at 34%, the highest among all transgenders and more than eight times of that among all Americans. She is one of the 32% who have lost a job and almost half who were not hired for a job due to transphobic bias. There are many like Candice, who find themselves without a job, without a home and generally without a secure livelihood while having to deal with the threat of facing rejection and harassment as a transgender individual, especially as a transgender woman.
What are the reasons for Candice's situation?
According to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), findings show that the “combination of anti-transgender bias with structural and individual racism meant that transgender people of color experience particularly devastating levels of discrimination” (NBJC, 2011). The black transgender community experience the highest levels of discrimination. Being a black, a woman and a transgender means that Candice is even more likely to face discrimination and violence incurred by racism, misogyny and transphobia.
Employment
Before ENDA was passed, 34 out of 50 states allowed employers to fire employees for being transgender. Prior to 2007, the ENDA introduced into Congress for voting was not inclusive of gender identity, only sexual orientation.
The income inequity between the transgender community and the overall population is startling because the education-income statistics do not match up in the intuitive sense. On the whole, transgender individuals are more likely to hold a college degree than the average American. In fact, the rate of holding a graduate degree is more than twice as much for transgenders than for the general population. When it comes to income levels, however, the earnings of the transgender community is far less than those of the general population, a deviation from the standard correlation between education level and income level.
This discrepancy is very much due to difficulties with employment. Especially since the name and gender on Candice’s legal documents do not match her outward appearance and identity, getting hired is a big challenge for her. The wage gap, too, is present for transgender individuals, especially when Candice identifies as black, woman and transgender, all three communities of which are affected by the wage gap and employment prejudice or discrimination.
According to the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), findings show that the “combination of anti-transgender bias with structural and individual racism meant that transgender people of color experience particularly devastating levels of discrimination” (NBJC, 2011). The black transgender community experience the highest levels of discrimination. Being a black, a woman and a transgender means that Candice is even more likely to face discrimination and violence incurred by racism, misogyny and transphobia.
Employment
Before ENDA was passed, 34 out of 50 states allowed employers to fire employees for being transgender. Prior to 2007, the ENDA introduced into Congress for voting was not inclusive of gender identity, only sexual orientation.
The income inequity between the transgender community and the overall population is startling because the education-income statistics do not match up in the intuitive sense. On the whole, transgender individuals are more likely to hold a college degree than the average American. In fact, the rate of holding a graduate degree is more than twice as much for transgenders than for the general population. When it comes to income levels, however, the earnings of the transgender community is far less than those of the general population, a deviation from the standard correlation between education level and income level.
This discrepancy is very much due to difficulties with employment. Especially since the name and gender on Candice’s legal documents do not match her outward appearance and identity, getting hired is a big challenge for her. The wage gap, too, is present for transgender individuals, especially when Candice identifies as black, woman and transgender, all three communities of which are affected by the wage gap and employment prejudice or discrimination.
What are the challenges Candice will face?
Food security
A direct impact of Candice’s socio-economic situation is low food security. Living on low wages means that one or more family members will have reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some points during the year. On the whole, they are also less likely to eat nutritious food or food of great variety.
Safety
In 2012, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs published the annual Hate Violence Report that showed that more than half of anti-LGBTQ homicide victims were transgender women, while seven in ten victims were people of colour. Physical assault, sexual assault and harassment are all safety concerns Candice faces, especially with the added vulnerability of not having a roof over her head. Going to the police, too, poses a threat as statistics show that police abuse and brutality targeted at transgenders is not insignificant.
Health
Physical health
Because of low food security, Candice is more likely to require hospitalisation or develop chronic illnesses such as anaemia and asthma. However, a lack of financial security and employer-covered health insurance also means that she will have trouble accessing this treatment should she need it, further infringing upon her health and finances. As it is, many transgenders report themselves as having been refused medical treatment because of their gender identity, and also having postponed required care because of the discrimination experienced. All this contribute to a danger posed to their physical health.
Even during her term as an employed worker, the probable scenario is that Candice still faced health problems. Her employer’s healthcare plan might not have coverage extended to transition-related care, such as hormone therapy. This non-inclusivity in healthcare, as well as denial of medical leave for transition-related care, is often reported by transgender employees. Now that she is unemployed, obtaining adequate care and expensive health insurance coverage is even more of a challenge for Candice, which jeapordises her health.
The rate of HIV infection among transgender individuals is four times as high as that among the general population, but the rate among black transgender individuals is 10 times as high as that. Unemployed transgenders like Candice also experience the negative consequence of a more than doubled rate of HIV infection (NBJC, 2011).
Smoking, drug and alcohol abuse are vices that Candice could develop, as research of homeless and unemployed transgenders suggest. The fact that she is actively seeking employment, however, lessens the possibility of her developing substance abuse and addiction.
Psychological health
The suicide rate in the transgender community is disturbingly high, especially for those in Candice’s situation, homeless, unemployed and living in extreme poverty. Again, looking for a job helps Candice to cope with this, but the difficulties she is facing puts her at a reasonable risk of attempting suicide.
This, alongside the long-term stress of living in extreme poverty, can result in anxiety and depression, all of which contribute towards a possible deterioration of Candice’s mental health.
Food security
A direct impact of Candice’s socio-economic situation is low food security. Living on low wages means that one or more family members will have reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns at some points during the year. On the whole, they are also less likely to eat nutritious food or food of great variety.
Safety
In 2012, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs published the annual Hate Violence Report that showed that more than half of anti-LGBTQ homicide victims were transgender women, while seven in ten victims were people of colour. Physical assault, sexual assault and harassment are all safety concerns Candice faces, especially with the added vulnerability of not having a roof over her head. Going to the police, too, poses a threat as statistics show that police abuse and brutality targeted at transgenders is not insignificant.
Health
Physical health
Because of low food security, Candice is more likely to require hospitalisation or develop chronic illnesses such as anaemia and asthma. However, a lack of financial security and employer-covered health insurance also means that she will have trouble accessing this treatment should she need it, further infringing upon her health and finances. As it is, many transgenders report themselves as having been refused medical treatment because of their gender identity, and also having postponed required care because of the discrimination experienced. All this contribute to a danger posed to their physical health.
Even during her term as an employed worker, the probable scenario is that Candice still faced health problems. Her employer’s healthcare plan might not have coverage extended to transition-related care, such as hormone therapy. This non-inclusivity in healthcare, as well as denial of medical leave for transition-related care, is often reported by transgender employees. Now that she is unemployed, obtaining adequate care and expensive health insurance coverage is even more of a challenge for Candice, which jeapordises her health.
The rate of HIV infection among transgender individuals is four times as high as that among the general population, but the rate among black transgender individuals is 10 times as high as that. Unemployed transgenders like Candice also experience the negative consequence of a more than doubled rate of HIV infection (NBJC, 2011).
Smoking, drug and alcohol abuse are vices that Candice could develop, as research of homeless and unemployed transgenders suggest. The fact that she is actively seeking employment, however, lessens the possibility of her developing substance abuse and addiction.
Psychological health
The suicide rate in the transgender community is disturbingly high, especially for those in Candice’s situation, homeless, unemployed and living in extreme poverty. Again, looking for a job helps Candice to cope with this, but the difficulties she is facing puts her at a reasonable risk of attempting suicide.
This, alongside the long-term stress of living in extreme poverty, can result in anxiety and depression, all of which contribute towards a possible deterioration of Candice’s mental health.
How can Candice cope?
Some federal policies have been put into place and these can possibly help alleviate Daya's current situation. To look at these policies, click on the links below.
Some federal policies have been put into place and these can possibly help alleviate Daya's current situation. To look at these policies, click on the links below.