Community-wide transgender stigma reduction strategies: A grounded theory

Background: Transgender individuals experience stigma and discrimination in many facets of their lives. For many transgender individuals, stigma is an enduring status that is negatively valued by our society and whose expression consequently disadvantages an individual. Within marginalized groups, the experience of discrimination based on personal characteristics instills fear of future discrimination, which provokes psychological distress. Merely knowing that one’s group is the target of discrimination may lead to negative self-appraisals, concealment of one’s stigmatized status, and expectations for future rejection. Often, transgender people learn to cope with this discrimination and stress in different, frequently ineffective, ways. While we know stigma and discrimination negatively affect the health outcomes of these individuals, we know little about how and where to intervene.

Methods: Using a grounded theory approach, results of this research will emerge organically through interviews with the transgender community sharing their lived experiences of stigma and discrimination and what they would like to see done in their communities to combat these. The study involves 60-90 minute one-on-one interviews based in grounded theory conducted with transgender-identifying men and women. This approach increases the rigor of the data by reducing researchers’ preconceived ideas of what stigma-reduction interventions should look like.

Results: Interviews scheduled through April 2015, with analysis conducted thereafter. Results are forthcoming and will be used to propose stigma reduction programs and interventions for transgender communities.  

Conclusions: Community-wide stigma reduction interventions proposed by transgender persons are urgently needed in order to alleviate the adverse health outcomes of minority stress and discrimination.