Transgender and Nonbinary Youths’ Experiences With Gender-Based and Race-Based School Harassment

Abstract

Background: Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) students commonly experience identity-based harassment, which is associated with poorer mental health, and TNB students of color may experience harassment targeting gender, race/ethnicity, and other identities. Applying an intersectional lens to minority stress theory suggests that different forms of identity-based harassment that target different identities are interconnected. However, few studies address intersecting forms of bias experienced by TNB students of color. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the interplay of racism and transphobia among TNB students by comparing experiences of racist and transphobic harassment across seven racial/ethnic groups and examining the effects of these forms of identity-based harassment on the mental health of TNB students of color. Participants: Participants were drawn from a large national sample of LGBTQ students who were enrolled in secondary school during the 2018–2019 school year. The study sample consists of all those who were TNB ( N = 6,795). The majority of the sample identified as transgender (68.7%), and just under a third identified as nonbinary, but not as transgender (31.3%). The majority were White (71.3%), and approximately a third identified as gay or lesbian (33.7%). Research Design: This quantitative study employed a multivariate analysis of covariance to examine differences in frequency of racist and transphobic harassment across racial/ethnic groups. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to examine the main effects of harassment, as well as interaction effects between these forms of harassment, on depression and self-esteem among TNB students of color. Results: Frequencies of race-based harassment were generally similar for all students of color groups and lowest for White TNB students. Frequencies of gender-based harassment were relatively higher for Native American TNB students and lower for Black and Asian American/Pacific Islander TNB students. Among TNB students of color, each form of harassment was associated with greater depression and lower self-esteem. We did not observe a significant interaction between these forms of harassment. Conclusions: Despite some differences between groups, many TNB students of color experience both racist and transphobic harassment. Experiencing both of these forms of harassment is associated with poorer mental health outcomes than experiencing one. School professionals must consider these multiple forms of bias in supporting their students at school.