March 31st is designated International Transgender Day of Visibility to raise awareness of transgender people in the population. Transgender people represent approximately 0.6% of the adult population in the United States, according to a 2021 report by the Williams Institute. That is about 1.4 million transgender adults. Despite being a small minority, transgender people face unreasonable barriers in nearly every aspect of life, from employment to healthcare to safety. The Williams Institute study highlights that transgender people experience a 15% unemployment rate, compared to 5% for the general population, and face persistent wage discrimination. Moreover, transgender individuals are significantly more likely to experience harassment and violence. They are four times more likely to be victims of violence than the cisgendered population.

A 2020 report from the Human Rights Campaign showed that at least 44 transgender or gender-nonconforming people were murdered in the U.S. that year, with the majority being Black transgender women. These rates of violence against a small minority of the population underscore the severe and systemic discrimination that transgender people face.

This violence is compounded by the fact that transgender individuals also suffer from healthcare inequality. Approximately 33% of transgender people in the U.S. are uninsured, according to the Williams Institute, making it difficult for many to access the gender-affirming care they need. Additionally, 19% of transgender individuals report being denied care due to their gender identity, a stark example of healthcare discrimination. The result is transgender adults reporting significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation compared to the general population.

Focusing so much animosity and ignorance on a small vulnerable community simply highlights fellow citizens’ lack of understanding of basic human biology. While the majority of humans born are XX (female) or XY (male), significant chromosomal variations can lead to other gender expressions.

XX Females: 

The majority of females have two X chromosomes (XX), and this is what we typically associate with the female sex. However, even among XX individuals, there are variations in how the body responds to genetic information (such as differences in hormone sensitivity or intersex traits).

XY Males: 

Most males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), and this genetic pattern typically leads to the development of male characteristics. However, there are conditions like Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) where individuals with XY chromosomes may develop a female physical appearance due to a lack of response to male hormones, even though they have male XY chromosomes.

Some Intersex Conditions:

• Klinefelter Syndrome (XXY): This occurs when males have an extra X chromosome. This results in an XXY chromosomal pattern and can lead to a range of physical and developmental differences, such as reduced testosterone levels and sometimes infertility. It affects about 1 in 1,000 males.
• Turner Syndrome (X0): Individuals with this condition have only one X chromosome instead of two, and their second sex chromosome is missing (or incomplete). This affects approximately 1 in 2,000 females and can lead to short stature, ovarian dysfunction, and other physical and developmental differences.
• Triple X Syndrome (XXX): Females with an extra X chromosome (XXX) are typically tall and have normal development, although they might experience learning difficulties or mild cognitive impairments. It occurs in about 1 in 1,000 females.
• Jacobs Syndrome (XYY): This condition occurs in males who have an extra Y chromosome (XYY). It affects about 1 in 1,000 males and is often associated with taller stature and mild cognitive issues, though many with XYY syndrome lead normal lives.

These are just a few intersex examples, but they underscore the fact that chromosomal patterns can be much more varied than the binary XX and XY model and have existed throughout human history. Intersex individuals (those whose sex characteristics do not fit typical definitions of male or female) represent a significant portion of the human population—about 1 in 1,500 to 1 in 2,000 live births, though estimates vary.

The oppression faced by transgender people is sadly ongoing and systemic discrimination remains deeply embedded in our society as evidenced by recent regulations restricting transgender people from healthcare, athletics and more. This oppression is rooted in ignorance, misinformation, and fear. Continued advocacy and policy changes are necessary to ensure that transgender people can live with dignity, free from the violence, discrimination, and exclusion that define their current realities.

Gender is, at its base, an expression of an individual’s chromosomes, genes, and hormones. And in our human population, there is a variety of gender expression that must be accepted and recognized not demonized and ostracized. Chances are we have all met intersex and transgender community members. They are as human as you or I and deserve basic human rights. Celebrate our diversity on the Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31st.

This post was co-published by Ellensburg Daily Record Newspaper on March 29, 2025. Charli Sorenson is the past President of the Kittitas County League of Women Voters. She has served on the LWVKC Board in various capacities since 2017. She has also served on the Ellensburg Affordable Housing Commission, Kittitas County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee, and Kittitas County Elections Disability Advisory Committee. She lives in Kittitas County with her long-suffering husband of 47 years.