Exploring Differences: A Research Project on the Transgender Community

Introduction

trans.gen.der

adjective

relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond

with their birth sex.

- Oxford dictionary

After coming out as transgender, if an individual wishes to express their new gender identity fully, they can expect to have costs of up to $60,000 for their gender reassignment surgery, $400 for a legal name change, $90 per month for hormone therapy, and $800 for a whole new wardrobe. All of these costs, along with many other expensive items, are commonly desired by transgender individuals for transition (Jackson, 2015). CNN released an article in 2015 which describes the different prices for surgeries and lifestyles of transgender individuals, both male to female and female to male. Ryan, a 17 year old transgender male that was interviewed for this research project, stated in his interview that "...being transgender is much more expensive than anyone would imagine" (R. Haag, personal communication, Sep 8, 2021). Ryan was a female at birth and transitioned to male-presenting.

Transgender is defined as "relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex", as stated by the Oxford dictionary. Anyone who knows, loves, works with, or is a transgender individual can understand that this Oxford dictionary definition only scrapes the surface of what it means to be transgender. There's no doubt that the LGBTQIA+ community has come a long way in the United States, but there are still many social and cultural issues that the transgender and gay communities face. This research essay will explore the differences between transgender individuals and cisgender individuals, what it is like for a transgender individual to "come out" as their new gender, how to go about expressing change from their birth sex, and the difficulties and struggles that transgender individuals may face in their everyday lives. The topics that will be covered include what it means to be transgender, representation in media, and social challenges. This research essay will uncover differences and assumptions that are made about the transgender lifestyle and discover what truly differentiates transgender individuals from mainstream (cisgender and heterosexual) society. Along with uncovering information about the transgender community, information will also be provided to inform readers how to make the world a better place for those who are outside of the social norms we live by.