Transgender people are exposed to various prejudices in everyday life. Many people associate the word "trans" alone with several characteristics that either do not apply at all or only in part.
Classic prejudices with which transgender people are confronted again and again are: "All transgender people are gay!" or "All transgender people want to have a "reoperation"!". Many people have a classic image of transgender people in their minds... and then are even more surprised to find that there are no standards here. The challenges transgender people face time and time again are often discriminatory in nature.
In homophobic circles, transgender people are still perceived as "abnormal". Yet the word describes a very simple phenomenon: the fact that one's own gender identity does not match one's biological sex.
In the meantime, there are many offers that are explicitly aimed at transgender people and that are supposed to help those affected to defend themselves against queer hostility.
Transgender and different currents
The terms "transgender" and "trans" are often mixed together and used in parallel in everyday life. There are different ways to be trans or transgender and to live out one's identity.
However, all transgender people have one thing in common: the sex they were assigned at birth does not match their personal gender identity. In this context, there is also always talk about transgender people being born "in the wrong body". This is certainly the simplest description to bring a person who has never dealt with the subject, the word "trans" or "transgender" something closer.
But: For many, this description also conceals discrimination. Those who reject the expression "born in the wrong body" are mainly resisting the association that their body is "wrong". After all, they are concerned with being recognized as a transperson. The word "wrong" stands here - in their opinion - in a negative connection to their transsexuality. For the sake of completeness, it should be mentioned that many people speak of being "born in the wrong body" without being aware that this phrase is also capable of hurting others.
Transsexuality can look back on a long history
Transgender people have been around for a long time. This is by no means an ephemeral trend, but rather a form of self-identification that has existed for centuries. Transsexuality exists in a wide variety of cultures and eras. The way the rest of society has viewed transgender people has always changed over time. Times when transgender people were very respected were followed by times of discrimination again.
However, especially in regions where strict rules around faith and religion played an important role, transgender persons have always been further oppressed (and more so than in many other parts of the world).
Trans counseling: an important point of contact
Many people feel insecure when they suspect or recognize that they are transsexual. A loving environment and a lot of understanding are worth their weight in gold here, but unfortunately not always the rule.
Especially in larger cities, there are now various counseling centers to which those affected can turn. Either on site or on the phone, trans people can ask questions and inquire with regard to further offers of help.
The fact that it is mainly transgender people who are increasingly threatened by homophobic attacks worries many. In some countries, the penalties for violence against transgender people (or queer people in general) have been increased in recent years.
I think there are a lot of prejudices about trans people. Which I think is a shame because most trans men and trans women I know have such a great open heart.