Last year we ran a survey asking trans and non-binary people living in Scotland about their experiences across a range of public services, with housing and homelessness, and on work, benefits and the cost of living.
Based on responses from the 571 people who filled out the survey, we’ve produced this report breaking down what life is like for trans and non-binary people in Scotland at the moment. While much of what we found confirms what we’ve been hearing from the community over the past few years, it’s really important to have this data so we can use it to make Scotland a better place for everyone.
You can read the full report here: https://www.scottishtrans.org/resources/trans-experiences-scotland/
And a shorter summary version here: https://www.scottishtrans.org/resources/trans-experiences-scotland-summary/
Some of our key findings include:
61% of people had avoided at least one public service for fear of being harassed, read as trans, or being outed, and just over half (54%) had has at least one negative experience in a public service.
Just under a quarter (23%) of those who had responded had been homeless at some point, with 35% feeling that their trans status had in some way contributed to this.
38% were currently unemployed, and 26% had not had a job in the past 5 years.
86% of respondents said that raising costs had affected their lifestyle over the past 12 months, with half (52%) saying that they had been forced to make a decision between essential household purchases and costs related to their transition.
In each section we’ve included a range of recommendations for different service providers and public bodies based on what we heard from respondents, as well as a range of commitments that we will be taking forward. These include creating resources for trans and non-binary people on how to advocate for yourself at your GP, and a mini-report focusing on the specific experiences of disabled trans and non-binary people.
We’ll be sharing these resources here on our website soon.
30 Bernard Street Edinburgh EH6 6PR
+44 (0)131 467 6039 info@scottishtrans.org
Scottish Trans is part of the Equality Network
Scottish Trans is the Equality Network project to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland. The Equality Network is a leading Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity.
The Equality Network is a registered Scottish charity: SC037852, and a company limited by guarantee: SC220213.
We are grateful for funding from the Scottish Government
