Homophobia and Discrimination on

<strong>Homophobia</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Discrimination</strong> on Grounds of Sexual Orientation <strong>and</strong> Gender Identity in the EU Member States
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or disempowered victims of violence. These negative representations suggest a highly
exotic <strong>and</strong> unrealistic view of the transgender community while also over-emphasising
some aspects of transgender peoples’ lives at the expense of focussing on what is also
a vibrant <strong>and</strong> diverse community. 462
Asylum issues
Some transgender people have been successful in gaining asylum in several EU
member countries, though there is no evidence of a common policy. It is unknown
whether people in asylum procedures are able to have their healthcare needs such as
access to hormones <strong>and</strong>/or surgery met by their host countries. It is also unknown if
placement with potentially transphobic compatriots poses a threat to transgender asylum
seekers or whether transgender asylum seekers have access to the local transgender
community <strong>and</strong> its support structures at all. 463
Multiple <strong>Discrimination</strong>
One group of transgender people who risk multiple discrimination are immigrant
transgender women who work as sex workers, many of whom are believed to be
undocumented immigrants. This group of people is isolated, with limited resources <strong>and</strong>
there is little information on their living conditions <strong>and</strong> experiences.
Similarly, very little is known about the situation of transgender people from ethnic <strong>and</strong>/or
religious minority backgrounds. What is known is that many of the cultural backgrounds
can be described as heterosexist <strong>and</strong> rigid in their perception of gender increasing the
risk for transphobia. 464
The prejudice that transgender people with disabilities face is severe. One example is
the reaction of the British Paralympic Association to the Gender Recognition Act. The
Association asked for an exemption, because of their ‘grave concerns over the
protection of vulnerable adults <strong>and</strong> children, <strong>and</strong> the implications for volunteer
supervisors in the world of disability sport, in relation to the issues presented by a preoperative
individual’. 465
462 E-mail conversation with the director of the Dutch Transgender Filmfestival on June 14, 2008
463 Justus Eisfeld, (2008), The situation concerning transphobia <strong>and</strong> discrimination on grounds of gender
identity <strong>and</strong>/or gender expression in the EU Member States', DIHR, pp. 27-28.
464 Tee, N, Hegarty, P (2006) Predicting Opposition to the Civil Rights of Trans Persons in the United
Kingdom, in: Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16: 70-80, Wiley InterScience
465 Cavanagh, S., Sykes, H (2006) Transsexual Bodies at the Olympics: The International Olympic
Committee’s Policy on Transsexual Athletes at the 2004 Athens Summer Games in: Body & Society, Vol.
12(3): 75-102, p. 90