The Transgender Persons Bill 2016
The transgender persons Bill 2016 was recently listed for passage during the ongoing session of parliament. The bill aims at recognizing transgender persons and conferring anti-discriminatory entitlements and rights related to welfare, education, health and employment measures. The bill provides for the self-perceived gender identity (World Report 2017).
It means that people can determine their gender by themselves. The bill also provides for a screening process so that persons eventually obtain a certificate of identity. The certificate of identity certifies a person as ‘transgender’. Hence, the bill allows for persons to self-identify their gender after undergoing a screening.
‘Transgender’ is a term that includes people whose gender sense does not match that assigned to them at birth. For instance, a person born as a man may identify with the opposite gender (woman). The bill identifies a transgender person as neither wholly female nor male, neither male nor female and a combination of female or male (World Report 2017). The transgender bill has led to mixed reactions with sections from both groups having their say. Many have condemned it while others have come out in full support. The transgender bill will lead to hate crimes.
Competition of Resources
The transgender bill could completely change the perception of threat among the members of a community that would eventually lead to increased hate crimes (Valentine 89). Passing of the transgender bill would lead to tangible conflicts of interest between the transgender population and others (Hamad 32). The dominant population would feel there is a perceived competition for employment, housing, health facilities and other resources. For instance, the majority may feel that the minority will be given their jobs due to the equal rights granted to the minority (Haggerty 56). The dominant community would also feel let down by the government because of giving ‘perceived preferential treatment’ to undeserving members of the community (transgender persons). The resentment would then manifest itself in the form of racial harassment and eventually hate crime.
Threat to Social Norms
Social hierarchies in a society are developed through dominant identity traits such as sexual orientation, race, class and gender (Valentine 89). Groups and individuals with the most power assert their identity and what the ideal characteristics on which the society should be based. For example, the idea social norms in most societies are white, middle class, male and heterosexual (Hamad 33). As such, passing the transgender bill would be a potential threat to the social norms and customs. Hate crime perpetrators would therefore rise and act as the police to the boundaries of ideal identity (Haggerty 56). They would use physical and verbal violence against those who would be seen as breaching the dominant social norms.
Perceptions of Loss
Passing of the transgender bill may lead to perceptions of loss among the dominant communities and contribute to hate crime causation. Hate crimes are often motivated by the unconscious perception of loss. The losses are often cultural or social due to economic downturn such as changes in the ways of life, loss of jobs and respect among others (Haggerty 56). For example, the transgender bill can lead to personal losses such as sense of security and even the jailing of a family member due to crimes against transgender persons (Valentine 115). These personal and cultural issues that are amplified by the passing of the transgender bill as well as biased media coverage and political discourse can produce a context where hate crimes suddenly increase (Hamad 34).
Increased Prejudice due to Family and Education
The formation of prejudiced attitudes is largely dependent on the family, education and peer group influences. Passing the transgender bill would not solve the issue of hate crimes but worsen the whole situation. Most of the prejudices are learned at a young age and it is crucial that any prejudice-reducing interventions focus on educating members of a family and society to accept the sexual orientation of other people (Valentine 120). The major source of bigotry among hate crime perpetrators is their own community and the lack of education. For example, studies have indicated that those who are highly educated are less likely to have prejudice over other people with different sexual orientation (Valentine 121). Instead of passing the transgender bill to punish offenders, it would be prudent to sensitize the community and families of the importance of integrating people with diverse sexual orientations in the community (Hamad 34). Education and youth work play an important role in shaping citizens when it comes to dealing with transgender persons. Transgender laws are not sustainable and only lead to prejudices particularly due to what is perceived as unfair laws that protect the minority transgender polices.
The Implications of the Transgender Bill
The transgender bill will only lead to hate crimes. Passing such a bill would be a big blow to the majority who have established social norms in the society. Passing the bill would make them aggrieved and start policing the boundaries of social norms to ensure they are not eroded. The majority would also perceive the passing of the bill as competition for resources such as jobs and housing. To guard what they feel belongs to them, hate crimes would increase to send a message to the minority groups. The lack of education in families and the community to suppress prejudices would also mean that hate crimes would be on the rise. Hence, a serious review of the implication of the bill has to be conducted before it is made a law.
Works Cited
Haggerty, George E. A Companion to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies. Malden: Balckwell, 2007. Print.
Hamad, Rania. Hate Crime: Causes, Motivations And Effective Interventions For Criminal Justice Social Work. The University of EdinBurgh, 2017. Print.
Valentine, David. Imagining Transgender: An Ethnography of a Category. Durham: Duke University Press, 2008. Internet resource.
World Report 2017: Events of 2016. , 2017. Internet resource.
