Research

There is a lack of research on transgender people’s needs.  It is not within the capacity of the Scottish Transgender Alliance to undertake all the research needed to fill the gaps in knowledge. However, we are uniquely placed to be able to consult with transgender community groups and individuals in Scotland in order to build up a more comprehensive picture of their needs and experiences.  Therefore, the Scottish Transgender Alliance can be of assistance to researchers wishing to undertake research in this area.  We can give guidance on priority areas for research in relation to transgender issues.  We can also help researchers to avoid causing any accidental offence or distress to transgender people.  In addition, Scottish Transgender Alliance involvement and endorsement of specific research projects can help to encourage transgender groups and individuals to feel confident about participating.  Academics or organisations interested in carrying out research with transgender people in Scotland are invited to contact us for free assistance.

STA Transgender Experiences in Scotland Research

Although carrying out our own research is not one of the main roles of the Scottish Transgender Alliance, during our development pilot project we found that there was an overwhelming need for evidence about transgender people’s current experiences in Scotland.  Employers and service providers in Scotland were requesting more evidence about the issues faced by transgender people in order to better inform their Gender Equality Duty scheme decisions.  The Scottish Transgender Alliance also needed a formal evidence base to better inform the direction and priorities of our equality development work.  Therefore, the STA carried out a national survey of transgender people during the summer of 2007.  The overall aim of the research was to provide greater insight into the lives and concerns of transgender people with a particular focus on public service provision.

The survey was distributed both as a paper survey and an equivalent secure online survey during the period July 2007 to September 2007 inclusive. Distribution was via transgender support groups and transgender and LGBT email news lists and gender identity clinics.  A total of 71 valid, non-duplicate survey responses were received.  This is the largest survey of transgender people in any published Scottish research to date.  It also compares favourably with “Engendered Penalties”, the UK wide research carried out by Press For Change and commissioned by The Equalities Review, which was the largest cohort of any international research, and which had a Scottish sample of 73 people.

The STA’s Research Summary Report ‘Transgender Experiences in Scotland’ is available via the Downloads box at the left of this web page.

2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey

The results of the module on discrimination in the 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey were published in December 2007 by the Scottish Government.  The module examined the attitudes of the general public in Scotland towards people from the six equality strands (age, disability, gender/gender identity, race, religion/belief and sexual orientation).  In order to keep the questions widely understandable by the general public, the questions asking about transsexual people used the phrase "people who have had a sex-change operation".  Attitudes towards other types of transgender people were not explored.  The survey was of 1594 people, in a sample that was representative of the whole Scottish population.

The researchers found that a significant proportion of people in Scotland still held discriminatory views in 2006, especially about transsexual people.  50% would be unhappy if a close relative entered a long-term relationship with a transsexual person.  33% would be unhappy if a close relative entered a long term same-sex relationship.  30% feel that a transsexual person would be unsuitable as a primary school teacher, and 21% think that about a gay or lesbian person.

A summary of the 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey research findings can be found here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/04093547/0

and the full research report is here:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/04093619/0

Engendered Penalties Research

Vital UK research on trans people’s experiences of inequality and discrimination was funded by The Equalities Review and carried out by Press For Change in 2006.  The report of their findings, ‘Engendered Penalties’ was written by Stephen Whittle, Lewis Turner and Maryam Al-Alami and published in February 2007.  It is available online at http://www.theequalitiesreview.org.uk/