Social Justice Group Launches Largest Survey Ever of Transgender Americans

On Wednesday, August 19, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) opened the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS), the follow-up to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, in an attempt to gather a more comprehensive understanding of the experiences of transgender people in the United States. The 2015 U.S. Trans Survey is expected to be the largest, most extensive study ever undertaken of trans lives in America.

The USTS will cover a wide range of topics that reflect the lives and experiences of transgender people today. More specifically, the USTS will assess transgender people's experiences including in employment, housing, healthcare, HIV/AIDS, disabilities, immigration, sex work, and police interactions. Participants will have at least one month to complete the survey. Results are projected to be released in Spring of 2016.

"We're at a critical moment for trans people in America, but there is basic, fundamental knowledge that we do not have," said executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, Mara Keisling. "While we're aware that trans people face extraordinary challenges, we cannot discern how frequent or widespread they are without up-to-date data. The survey will provide us with robust, fresh data, which will translate into significant knowledge about the trans community.

"This is a survey for all trans, genderqueer, and non-binary people. It is for us, about us, and by us," continued Keisling. "Just like the first survey, the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey will help expand our understanding of trans experiences in the U.S., and inform life-saving laws and policies that meet the needs of our communities. It will help us develop the information we need to understand the realities of our lives. Because this is the community's study, the results will be available to community members, organizations, and researchers for years to come."

Learn more about the the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey here: http://www.ustranssurvey.org