COVID-19 disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, including those identifying as transgender or non-binary. The following policy brief describes the increased impact of COVID-19 on transgender and non-binary people, outlines the structural barriers that contribute to this, and recommends steps state and local leaders can take to address these issues.

COVID-19 disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, including those identifying as transgender or non-binary. The following policy brief describes the increased impact of COVID-19 on transgender and non-binary people, outlines the structural barriers that contribute to this, and recommends steps state and local leaders can take to address these issues.

6.26.20 Op Ed DP Jarrod Call.docx

The transgender community is once again under attack.

While LGBTQ rights have expanded over the decades, transgender people continue to experience significant violence and discrimination. On June 12—on the 4^th anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting—the Trump administration eliminated protections against healthcare discrimination based on sex and gender identity, a particularly frightening move in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transgender people, or people whose gender identity does not match their sex assigned at birth, are a large and growing population in Colorado; recent surveys estimate over 20,000 transgender people live in our state alone. In 2008, Colorado added sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes against discrimination. As I outlined in a recent policy brief, however, there is more work to be done, particularly as the federal government actively seeks to strip transgender Americans of their rights.

Even when the medical system is functioning normally, more than one in four transgender people are unable to access necessary medical services. For those who do find a doctor, many deal with harassment that forces them to choose between visiting the doctor to take care of their physical health or staying home to preserve their emotional and psychological health.

Transgender people are already more likely to experience violence, anxiety, depression, and various forms of discrimination than non-transgender people. They are 40 times more likely to have HIV. Most troublingly, close to half of transgender people will attempt suicide sometime in their lives. Policies that remove protections against healthcare discrimination contribute to this tragic statistic, and a recent study found that transgender people who delay medical care out of fear of medical discrimination are three times as likely to be depressed and almost four times as likely to attempt suicide. The recently enacted rules will only add to this issue at a time when transgender people are already vulnerable.

Recent headlines have highlighted how marginalized communities are carrying more than their fair share of the pandemic. Unfortunately, we aren’t currently collecting any direct data on how COVID-19 is impacting the transgender community, though we have every reason to expect similar trends among the transgender community.

Transgender people are more likely to have cardiovascular disease and diabetes, both of which have been associated with increased COVID-19 severity. Adding to this, many healthcare centers have cut back hours or locations, making it even harder for transgender people to access medical care. This forces many transgender people to use emergency services where they do not have a prior relationship with the provider, increasing their risk of discrimination and having to educate providers who have likely not worked with transgender patients.

Transgender and non-binary people are also more likely to experience poverty and unemployment, increasing their vulnerability to financial disruptions caused by COVID-19. This is particularly true for Black and Latinx transgender people where almost 40% live in poverty, over three times the national average. While specific data regarding occupation type by gender identity is lacking, these economic disparities suggest that transgender and non-binary people are also more likely to work in jobs that require them to go into work, placing them in harm’s way without providing sufficient protection. 

Colorado has been a leader in protecting transgender rights, but as the Trump administration works to erode protections at the national level, we must continue to stand by our transgender citizens during this Pride month and throughout the year. Electing transgender affirming officials and passing additional protections at the state and local levels will send a clear message to the Trump administration that we will not support the discrimination of transgender people. Colorado should also begin gathering data on transgender COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths to better inform public health policy decisions. It’s past time to prioritize the basic healthcare needs of transgender people, and Colorado has the opportunity to lead the way.

Jarrod Call, LCSW is a doctoral student at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work and a practicing clinical social worker.