How do I combat misinformation about trans people?

Many of the struggles trans people deal with on a day-to-day basis are due to misinformation. There are many common things people might say about trans people on a day-to-day basis, the attitudes of which affect everything from laws around single-sex spaces to education about LGBTQ+ identities in the classroom.

By learning about these common aspects of misinformation about trans identities, you can feel empowered to combat them and support the trans communities.

If someone was talking about you to someone else, would they say "she", "he", "they" or something else? For instance, "I know Maria, she is my neighbor."

Pronouns are just that, the words we use to talk about someone in third-person. Trans people may change their pronouns to better represent their gender, but people who aren't trans have pronouns as well.

When people argue that they don't have pronouns, they isolate trans people and make it seem unusual to respect people's pronouns.

While you may have been taught that they is for two or more people, people actually use singular they to talk about one person quite often. For example, if you find a wallet on the ground you may ask "Has anyone lost their wallet?"

Many non-binary and trans people use they as one of their pronouns. By saying that it is not acceptable, people are invalidating this important aspect of someone's identity.

If someone introduces themself with they/them pronouns, they don't want a grammar lesson — they want respect.

...Black, Christian, Muslim, disabled, young, old, gay, straight, etc. When people have a narrow view of what it means to be trans, rather than an intersectional understanding, they ascribe assumptions and stereotypes about what you can and cannot be.

Trans people have as much diversity as any other identity group, and can be any religion, ethnicity, age, ability, sexuality, etc. When this intersectionality is not recognized, they can be isolated from other communities, and lose support. This is one reason why it's really important to have diverse media representation of trans people.

Another common misconception is that trans people are choosing their gender. Gender identity is just something that you have, regardless of any external pressures or your own opinions or decisions. You cannot choose to be trans any more than you can choose not to be.

This misinformation leads to people trying to put a stop to trans people living their ordinary lives, whether that's through conversion therapy, denying access to trans healthcare, or banning representations of trans people from media and from children especially. They think banning trans people will stop them from existing.

There are more people today coming out as trans. Some people are under the impression that this is a result of trans people wanting popularity, fame, or attention. However, this is actually because of greater representation of trans people in the media and overall acceptance.

Trans people have existed as far back as 5000 to 3000 BCE, and there are global historical records of trans people in the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Many societies worldwide acknowledge a non-binary third gender, as well.

Trans women are women, and feminism is about equality for all women.

Trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs), sometimes called gender-critical feminists, want to separate trans women, whom they do not see as real women, from cisgender ("real") women by denying them access to women's spaces like bathrooms, sports teams, prisons, and hospital wards. They falsely believe that trans women want to harass and abuse cisgender women and children.

There is no statistical support for the claim that they are more likely to be perpetrators of abuse. In fact, trans women are more likely to be victims.

Although gay and trans are both under the umbrella of LGBTQ+, the word gay refers to a sexual orientation, and transgender refers to a gender identity. Trans people can be of any sexual orientation.

When someone comes out as trans, they may also come out as having a different sexual orientation. For example, someone who used to identify as a lesbian (usually, a woman who is attracted to women) may now identify as a straight trans man (a man who is attracted to women). Sexual orientation and gender identity can both change over time.

Misinformation about transgender people may seem like innocent words and phrases, but it can have major and lasting consequences for the well-being and rights of members of the trans community.

By recognizing commonly-held but false beliefs about trans people and knowing the truth about the matters, you can take action to combat misinformation and support your trans friends, family members, and peers.