Surviving transgender abuse

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The following article is part two of a series on the dynamics of intimate partner violence.

By Hannah Mason

posted October 14, 2005

Many of us don’t think much about our gender, although it affects us constantly. Imperceptible guidelines dictate what our bodies look like, what we wear, and how we walk. Along with those come judgments; we know what a “real man” is, and we can tell exactly what a “real woman” is.

Transgender people break away from one or more of society’s expectations around gender — expectations that insist that everyone is either male or female, that one’s gender is fixed, that gender is rooted in our biological sex, and that our behaviors are linked to our gender. What about those whose gender identity does not fit neatly into traditionally and narrowly defined gender roles?

Society has a concrete way of dealing with people who deviate from these expectations. It attempts to force them back into place, to keep them in the “man” box or the “woman” box. Many transgender people deal with shame and self-doubt in confronting the pressures to conform. In addition, stories of brutal violence against transgender people are common. The fear that a transgendered person feels upon being “outed” to the wider community is directly linked to the stories of those who have had the experience with devastating results.

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