Only 1.6 percent of Americans identify as transgender or non-binary, according to a Pew Research Center poll published the other day. Transgender means that someone's self-identity differs from the social gender assigned at birth or the biological sex, in Hungarian, if, for example, a biological man feels like a woman, or vice versa. And non-binary refers to people who feel that they belong to neither gender nor to just one gender, so they are neither male nor female. These, however, are independent of sexual orientation.
Another interesting lesson from the American research institute's survey is that quite large differences can be observed by age.
5.1 percent of young adults under the age of 30 declared that they belonged to these two groups. Compared to this, only 1.6 percent of those between 30 and 49 years old, and only 0.3 percent of those over 50 years old. They also pointed out that four out of ten Americans know someone who is transgender, two out of ten who identify as non-binary, and even nine percent of them who classify their gender identity as under the age of 18 belong to these groups.
I read an article in Time magazine entitled Homosexuality in America in 1969. Of course, at that time we didn't know today's terms, or at least people didn't use them, in any case it was the first word that somewhat resonated with me - a non-binary over 60 described his own experience.
The Pew Research Center does not attempt to answer what the cause of the generation gap could be.
However, the American research institute also begins its related investigation with the fact that transgender and non-binary people have become much more visible in the United States in recent years. It was recalled that several American celebrities have come forward with their gender identity: among others, Canadian actor Elliot (formerly Ellen) Page as transgender or singer Janelle Monáe as non-binary. And the topic is already crucial in politics. For example, one of the first things that Joe Biden's administration did was to introduce that American citizens could choose the gender neutral X in their passports in addition to male and female.
The new president signed a decree to ensure that children in schools can use the bathroom of their chosen gender. The appointment of openly transgender Rachel (née Richard) Levine as Deputy Secretary of Health also received a lot of press coverage.
Source: Twitter
There is a lively public debate overseas about the rights of this 1.6 percent; for example, what kind of bathroom they can use or how they can measure themselves in sports.
Maybe the solution for the Gender family is the third bathroom, they could go there to take a peek!
Source: Hungarian Nation
Featured image: Twitter
