A Global Analysis of Transgender Rights: The Trans Rights Indicator Project

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Abstract

To what extent do countries protect the rights of transgender people? Further, how does this differ from legal protections countries offer sexual orientation minorities? Limitations in data availability and accessibility make answering these types of trans-specific questions difficult. To address this shortcoming, this article introduces a new dataset. The Trans Rights Indicator Project (TRIP) provides insight into the legal situations transgender people faced in 173 countries from 2000 to 2021. The dataset currently includes 14 indicators that capture the presence or absence of laws related to criminalization, legal gender recognition, and anti-discrimination protections. The article then uses this data to discuss the global status of transgender rights throughout the period and compares these trends to sexual orientation rights. Finally, the concluding sections present descriptive statistics that suggest liberal democracy, high gross national income per capita, and a religiously unaffiliated population are beneficial for advancing trans rights protections.

Author

• Myles Williamson, University of Baltimore