As awareness and legal measures concerning transgender individuals increase, new data highlights a concerning trend of heightened backlash posing threats to their rights worldwide.
The Trans Rights Indicator Project (TRIP) index, introduced in the journal Perspectives on Politics by Cambridge University Press, stands out as one of the pioneering efforts to compile global data on legislation pertaining to transgender individuals. This comprehensive index tracks national laws related to the criminalization of gender identity, legal gender recognition, and anti-discrimination protections.
Recent findings from the index reveal a significant rise in the recognition of gender identity over the past two decades, accompanied by a parallel increase in the criminalization of transgender individuals. In 2000, eight countries explicitly criminalized individuals based on gender identity or expression; by 2021, this number had risen to 13.
However, there has been a marginal decline in indirect criminalization of transgender individuals during this period. Indirect criminalization, defined as the presence and arbitrary application of laws affecting behavior, was prevalent in at least 112 countries in 2000, but reduced to 104 countries by 2021.
Despite the escalating criminalization, a growing number of countries now permit individuals to change their gender markers on legal documents. While only 18 countries allowed such changes in 2000, this figure rose to 60 countries by 2021. However, recognition of nonbinary and third-gender identities remains sparse, with only eight countries allowing individuals to select a non-binary gender on legal documents beyond passports as of 2021.
Furthermore, the index highlights disparities in legal protections among sexual- and gender-identity minorities. For instance, in Austria and South Africa, sexual orientation minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc.) enjoy greater legal rights compared to transgender individuals. Despite this, many research and data collection efforts tend to lump sexual- and gender-identity minorities together.
Myles Williamson, the author of the research and creator of TRIP, emphasized the importance of utilizing TRIP data for targeted advocacy efforts. Williamson, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama, emphasized the need for increased attention to the rights of transgender individuals on a global scale.
He noted that while transgender individuals face direct attacks, political science research often overlooks their rights, preferring to treat the LGBT community as a homogenous entity. Williamson stressed the necessity for policymakers, advocacy organizations, and the public to acknowledge and address the unique challenges faced by transgender individuals globally and ensure that policies are inclusive and representative of their needs.