College students' acceptance of trans women and trans men in gendered spaces: The role of physical appearance

ABSTRACT

Transgender people often face prejudice and discrimination in school, employment, housing, and health care, and this can affect their psychological well-being. Although the literature on prejudice toward transgender people is growing, there is limited research that has examined differences in attitudes toward trans women and trans men separately. Specifically, the current study examined the role of physical appearance in the acceptance of transgender women and men in gendered spaces, including bathrooms, locker rooms, residence halls, and sorority and fraternity organizations. Participants viewed masculine-appearing and feminine-appearing images of a trans woman and trans man. Measurements of overall transacceptance and gendered-space acceptance were assessed. Results indicated that, in general, trans women were less accepted than trans men. The masculine-appearing trans woman was less accepted in the gendered spaces compared to the feminine-appearing trans woman and both images of the trans men. Also, female participants were generally more accepting of transgender people than male participants were. These findings suggest that, compared to trans men, discrimination of trans women is more likely, especially when the trans woman's physical appearance transgresses traditional gender expectations.