Human rights breakthrough

AN MMU academic’s research into discrimination experienced by trans people, has led to a major breakthrough in human rights.

Stephen Whittle, Professor of Equality Law at the School of Law, conducted the largest ever survey of the experiences of transsexual and transgender people, and found repeated and ongoing prejudice which "results in violence, abuse and institutionalised discrimination throughout their lives".

His research is an integral part of the Equalities Review, published in early March, which recommends that the rights of transgender people be covered by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights which starts its work in October 2007.

Dr Whittle said: "Being treated differently can be a lifelong experience if your sense of gender does not concur with society’s stereotypical expectations of what it is to be a ‘man’ or a ‘woman’.

Bullying

"It can start as early as three or four years of age when parents punish children for being different and bullying invariably blights the educational experience of young people who are attempting to discover their gender identity.

"We found that teachers, parents and social workers are not aware of the seriousness of the problems young people who have problems with their gender face, and they do not know how to provide the right kind of support."

Professor Whittle headed a research team which collected data from more than 870 of the country’s adult trans people – the largest study of its kind undertaken anywhere in the world.

They also analysed tens of thousands of emails related to people seeking help and advice for experiences ranging from having their cars fire bombed and being spat upon, to doctors refusing to treat them.

Abuse at school

The evidence threw up some new and interesting results which challenge current understandings of the trans community and the people in it. These include evidence that tomboys experience more abuse at school than sissy boys, and that many lifelong 'transvestites' would be transssexual if it were not for their fear of workplace discrimination.

The research also indicated that one of the most significant areas of discrimination lies within health and social care; Up to a fifth of trans people have encountered GPs who have either refused to treat them altogether, or are hostile and uncooperative.

Yet the report also shows that, without sympathetic and timely treatment, as many as a third of all trans people have attempted suicide at least once.

This 95 page report was commissioned by the UK Government's Equalities Review.

Engendered Penalties: Transgender and Transsexual People’s Experiences of Inequality and Discrimination Authors: Stephen Whittle, Lewis Turner and Maryam Al-Alami, (Crown
Copyright 2007) available at
www.theequalitiesreview.org.uk