ABSTRACT
Despite the tendency to sensationalize the trans experience, Americans’ perceptions of transgender people have been positively influenced by the increasing media presence of complex figures such as Caitlyn Jenner. As a recent survey from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) showed, about two-thirds of today’s American population is relatively well informed about transgender people and issues, having a good understanding of what the term “transgender” means. Another recent survey from the Human Rights Campaign indicates that 22 percent of Americans know or personally work with a transgender person. This increasing awareness may have contributed to the fact that an overwhelming majority (89%) favors legal protection and equal rights for transgender people. In 2015, President Obama became the first president to use the word “transgender” in a State of the Union address. In doing so, he publicly recognized the transgender community while pushing for its protection against discrimination.
