Assessing Voter Registration Among Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals

Although public attention to transgender (trans) politics has increased dramatically in recent years, the scholarly community still has a limited understanding of how trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) individuals participate in the political system. Trans/GNC individuals are faced with a dual reality. On one hand, they are part of a highly organized and activated group whose rights depend on political engagement; on the other hand, individuals often face barriers to political participation including a lack of proper identification and low socioeconomic status. In this paper, we explore the effects of these competing forces on trans/GNC voter registration. We use the theory of oppositional consciousness to hypothesize that being part of a political and highly mobilized population helps trans/GNC individuals overcome barriers to participation. Using data on over 5,000 self-identified trans/GNC individuals from the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey we show that, though individuals are less likely to participate if they lack gender-conforming identification, on the whole trans/GNC individuals in this survey register at rates that are consistent with or higher than the general population. The evidence points to the importance of the trans political movement in activating and developing oppositional consciousness in its members. We explore the implications of these findings and what they mean for future research.

尽管近年来公众对跨性别（transgender，简称trans）政治议题的关注度显著攀升，但学术界对跨性别与性别非顺从（gender non-conforming，简称GNC）个体参与政治体系的具体方式仍认知有限。跨性别/GNC群体面临着双重现实处境：一方面，他们隶属于一个组织严密、动员度极高的群体，其权益的维系有赖于政治参与；另一方面，这类个体往往面临诸多政治参与壁垒，例如缺乏合规身份凭证以及社会经济地位偏低。本研究旨在探析这两股对立力量对跨性别/GNC群体选民登记行为的影响。本研究借助反抗性意识（oppositional consciousness）理论提出研究假设：作为被充分动员的政治群体的一员，能够帮助跨性别/GNC个体突破政治参与的障碍。本研究使用2011年全国跨性别歧视调查（National Transgender Discrimination Survey）中超过5000名自我认定为跨性别/GNC个体的数据，分析结果显示：尽管缺乏符合性别规范的身份凭证会降低个体的参与意愿，但总体而言，本次调查中的跨性别/GNC群体的选民登记率与普通民众持平，甚至更高。上述研究结果表明，跨性别政治运动在激发并培养其成员的反抗性意识方面具有关键意义。本研究最后探讨了本次研究发现的实践内涵，以及其对未来相关研究的启示。