Public #transneeds deck

The #transneeds Listening Campaign
Thursday, December 3, 2015

Hello! We’re the
volunteer team behind
#transneeds.
We began as a subgroup from the
“Systems Inclusion” breakout group at
the White House LGBTQ Tech &
Innovation Summit on August 10, 2015.
We’re a diverse group of LGB and T
members with backgrounds in design,
journalism, engineering, mobile
telecommunications, and program
management.

Executive Summary
The Problem: Not enough data or awareness on the needs of transgender people, especially to inform policy
development at the federal/national level
Our Approach: We chose to embark on a social media listening campaign to reach out and identify some of the
unheard needs of transgender people to inform recommendations back to the White House. Our three-month
execution window was not enough time to collect comprehensive data, but was enough to get a sense of the
impact of not having such data
Our Findings: We received over 12,000 Tweets and texts identifying myriad concerns and a desire to be heard,
but the overarching issue is that despite a rise in attention to transgender issues in general, much of the
community struggles with discriminatory barriers to basic shelter, health care, employment, and equal
treatment
Next Steps: Report back to the White House and public with recommendations and directions for further study

“End Trans Panic as a defense. If it’s defensible to
kill us because we exist, the rest doesn’t matter.”
— Tweet from @sarcastic_sara 9/30/2015

The Problem
“In talking with the people from the transgender community,
it became clear to me just how little data we have. As we
pursue efforts like precision healthcare, making sure we
properly represent transgender Americans is critical.”
— DJ Patil, White House Chief Data Scientist

The Root of the Problem
Harris, Benjamin Cerf, “Likely Transgender Individuals in U.S.: Federal Administrative Records and the 2010 Census”, May 2015, U.S. Census Bureau.
Gary J. Gates, “How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender?”, April 2011, The Williams Institute
Very little quantitative evidence about the social, medical and economic lives of
transgender people. The main challenge is one of data.
Reluctance of respondents to report stigmatizing identities and behaviors.
Random sample surveys are infeasible, since sample sizes would need to be
impractically large to adequately cover the transgender population.
Binary gender responses are imposed by nearly all surveys, censuses, and forms.
Unclear what to ask to capture various meanings of “transgender” or variations that
gender identity takes once binary sex categories are broadened.

Forming Our
Project
Our subgroup met with DJ Patil, White
House Chief Data Scientist, and in the
space of a few hours on in the
afternoon of August 10, 2015, we
honed in on a project focused on the
lack of data surrounding the
transgender population. After a
brainstorming session and sharing
our skills and interests, we settled on
a social listening campaign as the
core of our project.

Our Approach
Motivation: Lack of data, small and obscured population, respondent
safety/privacy concerns, and internet access limitations
Method: A social media and SMS data collection approach that gives voice to
the transgender community with anonymity and ease-of-access, and which
isn’t pre-empted by the rigors of methodology
Goal: Gather narratives and issues that may have been missed by structured
surveys. Amplify data and details that might typically be lost in the noise
Ran: From September 30 to October 31, 2015

Twitter and its tools met the goal of
strong quantitative analysis. Messages
are public but handles can be
anonymous. Short messages produce
only modest qualitative information.
#transneeds Listening Campaign Elements
Other Social Media
Quantitative
Findings
Qualitative
Findings
Anonymity/
Ease of
Access
SMS-#
Twitter Press
We considered 3 conceptual
properties of a listening
campaign: quantitative findings,
qualitative findings, and
anonymity/ease of access.
We leveraged
connections with the
press, celebrities, and
corporate executives to
drive social buzz from
the outside and Twitter
generated its own
internal buzz.
We created a visual
brand that we used
throughout our
communications.
We secured accounts in
the name of transneeds
on other social media,
but they were mostly
unused due to resource
limitations.
The receive-only SMS
number was strongest on
longer-length qualitative
narratives, offered high
anonymity, and a low
barrier to access.

And We Launch
Press kits sent to over 100 agencies,
schools, press contacts
DJ Patil helps announce #transneeds
at 9/30 Strata+Hadoop keynote

And We Launch
Press kits to over 100 agencies,
Press kits sent to over 100 agencies,

And We Launch
Press kits to over 100 agencies,

National Press
A string of positive press articles began to emerge: BuzzFeed,
The Advocate, Chicago Sun-Times and more, along with many
more outlets echoing the project’s press release.

National Press
Rush Limbaugh and other conservative outlets
and bloggers spent time reacting to the
campaign.

A number of hostile and violent
messages were received. Those
messages faded rapidly.
National Press

Twitter Hashtag Analysis
The Twitter community generated +12,000 #transneeds Tweets over 1 month …
Campaign
launch

… from all 50 states …

… representing many ethnicities and ages …
Asian Black, non-Hispanic Hispanic White, non-Hispanic
17 and below 18-24 25-34 35 and above

… with priority recommendations …

… and varying levels of engagement across pre-defined categories.

The analysis tools
available are capable
of natural language
processing.
But challenges remain
in adjusting for
semantics and
sentiment, which
could be explored in a
longer term study.

By tracing a
conversational thread
across multiple Tweets,
we are able to uncover
additional context to
combat ambiguity.

Anonymous 800# SMS Analysis
The 800# SMS piece of the campaign yielded limited
responses, however the stories shared were tremendously
powerful.
In offering a text option, the campaign gave people who are
not on social media or who wanted to remain anonymous a
way to participate and share their stories.

The Problem:
Education
“In TN bullying/verbally harassing LGBT kids is legal. (Religious
Viewpoints Anti-discrimination Act) We’ve lost enough children.”
— Tweet from @AlainaKailyn 10/2/2015

The Problem:
Education
78% of transgender or gender nonconforming individuals experienced
harassment in K-12 school
35% experienced physical assault and 12% experienced sexual violence
31% reported harassment, 5% reported physical assault, and 3% reported sexual
assault by teachers or staff
Led 15% to leave school in K-12 setting or in high education
51% of those harassed or assaulted attempted suicide
Grant, Jaime M., Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National
Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2011

The Problem:
Housing
“Safe housing. i am currently staying in a tent. it’s new england. it’s pouring
down rain, and i was flooded out last night. i have nowhere else to go and
every agency I have talked to has no help for me. I’m 53, recovering
from knee surgery that I think I have reinjured, I have sleep apnea so staying
outdoors is problematic. What do I do? Where do I go for help?”
— SMS from 9/30/2015

The Problem:
Housing
19% of survey respondents have experienced homelessness at some point in
their lives because they were transgender or gender nonconforming
55% of those who tried to access a homeless shelter were harassed by shelter
staff; 29% were turned away altogether
22% were sexually assaulted by residents or staff

The Problem:
Public Exclusion
“The ability to travel without becoming an automatic suspect, an
‘anomaly’, getting detained and forced to pay rebooking fees.”
— Tweet from @marcyjcook 9/30/2015

The Problem:
Public Exclusion
53% of respondents reported being verbally harassed or disrespected in a place
of public accommodation, including hotels, restaurants, buses, airports, and
government agencies
22% were denied equal treatment by a government agency or official
12% had been denied equal treatment or harassed by judges or court officials

The Problem:
Employment
“I am a TG female living in wichita Kansas area.. the bible belt... and have been stuck
in mid transition due to the opinions and rules of others. I hold three college
degrees with a 4.0 GPA and 20+ years work experience. I am frequently blocked
in my transition my work and medical discrimination.”
— SMS from 9/30/2015

The Problem:
Employment
Respondents report higher education than the general population. Anti-
transgender bias “trumps” educational attainment
26% reported that they had lost a job due to being transgender or gender non-
conforming and 50% were harassed
Double the rate of unemployment, four times the rate of poverty

“Not getting kicked out of a hospital would be a good start”
— Tweet from @safarishane 9/30/2015
The Problem:
Health Care

19% were refused medical care due to their transgender or gender
nonconforming status
28% reported verbal harassment in a doctor’s office, emergency room or other
medical setting
50% of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about
transgender care
The Problem:
Health Care

A staggering 41% of respondents have attempted suicide
(compared to 1.6% of the general population).
#transneeds, National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), and
Grant, et al, Injustice at Every Turn, A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, 2011
Most suicide attempts are signs of extreme distress.
Respondents reported loss in nearly every major life area, from
employment to housing to family life.

Closing Thoughts:
On the Campaign
Technology is integrated into today’s social systems. It is not isolated.
Technology should acknowledge and support those that it may leave behind.
With no budget we launched a successful nationwide social listening campaign that
created some excitement and reached many who sought inclusion.
The initial wave of hostile messages lacked enduring motivation. They were quickly
overwhelmed within our campaign by supportive and relevant messages.

Closing Thoughts:
On the Campaign
New technology can create visibility for a hidden population often overlooked by
traditional approaches.
New analysis tools are needed to provide qualitative interpretation of
unconventional data.
Received messages speak strongly to the foundation layers of Maslow’s Hierarchy of
Needs: a plea for rights and protections related to the most basic physical and social
safety needs.
The transgender population is especially disadvantaged. Successes with our
approach can help other groups that may lack a voice.

The transgender population is educated and resilient with untapped potential.
Though the transgender population is small, their exclusion amplifies their social
and economic consequences to disproportionately high levels.
Stark NTDS survey findings were echoed by compelling #transneeds narratives.
No one should experience systematic exclusion and a pervasive atmosphere of
discrimination for not doing anything to anyone and for simply being who they are.
Closing Thoughts:
Why This is Important

“People truly blossom in an environment of support &
acceptance. It is one of the most beautiful things to witness”
— Tweet from @JRYussuf 9/30/2015

Next Steps … The White House
Report to the White House with emphasis on:
Overall story
Our lessons learned
Need for more data
Policy change recommendations
Find a curator to continue #transneeds

Resources and Further Reading
Large list of LGBT support centers around
the U.S. from CenterLink: The Community of
LGBT Centers
List of NYC LGBTQ Services and Resources
from The New York City Comptroller
Trevor Project 24/7: (866) 488-7386. Limited
hours: TrevorText “Trevor” to 202-304-1200
and online chat.
Crisis Text line 24/7 text “START” to 741741
Trans Lifeline Most days/hours: US: (877)
565-8860, Canada Canada: (877) 330-6366
Research in social media language processing (2011), (2013), (2014), (2015)
DC government finds similar resumes fare worse when transgender history implied
TG health insurance cost effective (Williams Institute), (Johns Hopkins), (Palm Center)
OSHA publishes guide for TG restrooms based on “core gender identity” principle
Transgender issues gain recognition on Capitol Hill with new task force
Government orders school district to grant TG student access to female facilities
HHS to include orientation and gender identity in electronic health records

References
Grant, Jaime M., Lisa A. Mottet, Justin Tanis, Jack Harrison, Jody L. Herman, and Mara Keisling. Injustice at Every Turn: A Report
of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, 2011
Tobin, Harper J., Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, and Lisa Mottet. A Blueprint for Equality: A Federal Agenda For Transgender People.
National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015.
Harris, Benjamin C. Likely Transgender Individuals in U.S. Federal Administrative Records and the 2010 Census. Center for
Administrative Records Research and Applications, U.S. Census Bureau, 2015.
Gates, Gary J. How Many People are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender?, The Williams Institute, April 2011.

Special Thanks to:
Twitter provided analysis tools and
assistance in securing the #transneeds
hashtag
Zipwhip made 844-TRNS-NDS a reality by
donating their toll free texting service

Keep the conversation going
#transneeds

Public #transneeds deck

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