What is internalized transphobia?
Internalized transphobia is the process a trans person goes through (without awareness or consent) where harmful, even discriminatory anti-trans ideas and stigma from the culture at large are absorbed (or internalized) into their own beliefs.
By incorporating within themselves the social prejudices against trans folks that exist within the larger culture, they create a sense of internalized transphobia, or internal prejudice against trans folks, even though they themselves are trans. This often manifests as an overwhelming sense of self hatred, shame, judgement and low self esteem. Without intervention and support it can lead to a more severe anxiety, depression, and suicidality.
Trans folks who struggle with this sense of internalized transphobia often feel compelled to conform to cisnormative gender standards, or feel even greater pressure to “pass”–whether or not that matches up with their authentic gender expression, and when they fail to meet these standards they likely feel a deep sense of self hatred or even disgust at their authentic expression.
How is internalized transphobia different from external transphobia?
External transphobia (or what we know as just transphobia) is the social, cultural and structural discrimination and marginalization that trans folks face outside of themselves. Internalized transphobia is rooted in and created by external transphobia–meaning it couldn’t actually exist without it. Internalized transphobia was created by external transphobia.
Without the hate speech, discriminatory legislation, harassment, structural & economic marginalization, housing insecurity, academic discrimination, lack of access to medical resources, interpersonal violence, barriers to legal identification, misgendering, deadnaming, etc. that make up external transphobia, there would be no soil in which internalized transphobia could take root. But because these things are so present in our culture, trans folks are forced to due the hard work of having to dig themselves out of cultural norms that harm them just to be able to access authentic self expression.
What is the impact of internalized transphobia?
Transphobia, both internal and external do critical damage to trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) folks mental health and well being. According to the Human Rights Campaign, more than 6 in 10 trans and GNC youth “screened positive for depression (60%) or anxiety (68%)” as of 2024; and trans adults are more than 2.5x times more likely to struggle with their mental health than their cisgender peers, including having suicidal thoughts.
Not only can internalized transphobia increase mental health struggles for trans folks, it can also increase a sense of isolation, making it harder to connect with their larger trans community as they navigate the internal struggle of untangling the anti-trans prejudices they’ve absorbed from the culture around them that have not only impacted their ability to accept themselves, but their trans peers.
What can you do to work through internalized transphobia?
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Remember this belief isn’t native to you, it was a seed planted there by someone else and can be dug up just as it was put there. It will take hard work, but with the proper support system the work can be done. This system can be made up of supports like a trans affirming therapist, a local or online support group, and even free online resources like the HRC Coming Out: Living Authentically as Transgender or Non-Binary report which can help point you in the right direction based on what stage of acceptance you’re in.
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Start to push back when negative self talk comes up: where is this voice coming from? Who put these thoughts there? Who do they really serve? This is a long process. Be patient with yourself, it won’t happen overnight. Every time you push back you make progress, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
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Read trans stories, listen to trans music, explore trans artists, see trans made movies, etc. Bring as many trans voices into the mix as you can. There’s not just one way to be trans, and there are so many beautiful, creative, exciting works of art and media out there from trans artists and storytellers. When you’ve only been exposed to cis voices on trans experiences, it’s easy to be steeped in anti-trans narratives and stigma–introducing trans voices to the mix can help shift the narrative. Changing what you’re exposed to externally can start to change what messages you tell yourself, and what you believe internally.
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Remember the facts: According to the HRC, Americans overwhelmingly support transgender equality– at work, when attending school, when accessing healthcare, etc. And that support only increases as more people know and talk with trans people.
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