Authors: Serafim & Alex, transgender people
Despite all the information that is currently available, trans and non-binary people are still exposed to harmful myths and stereotypes that contribute to the negative perception of the community. Some of the most widespread myths are listed below.
Myth:“All transgender people look a ‘certain’ way.”
Regretfully, this misconception is quite prevalent both within the general public and the queer community. Our personal observations indicate that transgender men are generally expected to look like masculine women (sometimes assumed to be “lesbians in denial”), while transgender women are often depicted as tall, with a broad body frame and a deep voice, wearing dresses and makeup. As a result, transgender individuals who pass as the gender they identify as are often met with surprise.
“Personally, I’ve mostly experienced the shock that goes like ‘Wait, you’re trans?! I would’ve never guessed!” from cisgender people, which implies the very specific and stereotypical image they have of those who identify as trans.” – Alex, transmasc
Reality: Transgender individuals have different ways of expressing themselves, including varying degrees of masculinity/feminity, clothing, hairstyles, and behaviour.
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Myth: “Transgender people reinforce gender stereotypes. They think that being a woman means wearing dresses, and being a man means being masculine.”
Reality: Not all transgender individuals aim to resemble the stereotypical depictions of the gender they identify as. Since we are generally less likely to conform to gender stereotypes, many transgender men/women aren’t masculine/feminine in the traditional sense (yet those who are, have the complete right to express themselves that way!). It is also important to note that, in a lot of cases, transgender individuals are pressured into conformity, otherwise they risk being misgendered and/or invalidated.
“While I view myself in a more masculine way, there are some neutral/feminine aspects to my expression as well. A lot of the time I feel like people don’t take me seriously due to being ‘not masculine enough’, which has contributed to my social dysphoria. People have told me that ‘it’s hard for them to remember my pronouns because I look like a girl’, which made me feel like I have to ‘earn’ my identity and pronouns.” – Serafim, genderqueer
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Myth: “Transgender people are gay/lesbian individuals with internalised homophobia. They ‘change’ genders in order to fit into the heteronormative society.”
Reality: While it is often assumed that transgender people’s sexual/romantic preferences are inherently linked to their gender identity, in reality that is completely false. A trans individual can be straight, gay, bisexual, or anything else, regardless of who they identify as. The discomfort that comes with dating as the gender associated with one’s birth assigned sex is linked to the idea of being seen as someone the individual does not see themselves as. (Ex. A transgender man would feel uncomfortable being seen as a woman in a relationship, regardless of his sexual/romantic preferences.)
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Myth: “Transgenderism is a mental illness.”
Reality: While trans-identified people are more likely to struggle with mental health due to varying reasons, such as discrimination, hate crimes, trouble accessing healthcare, and much more, the transgender identity itself is not the cause of any mental illnesses, nor is it the result or a symptom of any pre-existing psychological or psychiatric issues.
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Myth: “Being trans/non-binary is a trend. That’s why there are so many people who identify as non-cis these days. Back in the day, there were fewer of them.”
Reality: Transgender people have a rich and diverse history that dates back to ancient civilizations and continues to this day. Due to a drastic increase in trans visibility over the past few years, more of us have become publicly open about our identities. This created the illusion that there are more trans-identified people now than there were in the past, when in reality, we simply used to suppress our identities out of fear of criticism or even violence.
Real-life experience indicates that people who initially held transphobic beliefs are prone to shifting their views upon directly engaging with transgender individuals and learning that many of the myths and stereotypes are largely inaccurate. This demonstrates that a significant amount of bias is caused by misinformation, and combating it is crucial to establishing a safer environment.
