Resources for Media Professionals
The resources below are intended to provide journalists and entertainment writers with the tools they need to accurately and respectfully tell the stories of transgender people. If you have further questions, please contact GLAAD at transgender@glaad.org. We will be happy to work with you on the story you are creating.
RESOURCES CREATED BY GLAAD
GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide
Transgender terminology style guide, includes terms to avoid, and guidelines for proper name and pronoun usage.
GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide: In Focus – Covering the Transgender Community
An “In Focus” section of GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide offering more in-depth tips on creating fair, accurate, and inclusive stories about transgender people.
Doubly Victimized: Reporting on Transgender Victims of Crimes
This report will help you ensure that transgender victims of violent crimes are always treated respectfully and fairly. These guidelines apply to all stories that involve the transgender community, but are especially important when the person has been attacked or killed.
Consistent Respect: Reporting On Transgender Crime Suspects
Transgender people are sometimes suspected and/or convicted of crimes. The media has a responsibility to represent all transgender people accurately, with their correct names and pronouns, and without relying on dehumanizing stereotypes. This responsibility does not change with the circumstances of a story, including instances where transgender people are suspected of crimes.
Transgender Awareness Week
GLAAD’s resources created for this grassroots event held in cities around the country in November to help raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and to address the issues these communities face. The week ends with the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance observance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
GLAAD’s resources created for Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), an international observance that happens every year on November 20 to honor the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
Timeline: A Look Back at the History of Transgender Visibility
Take a look back at the history of transgender visibility with this timeline of notable events compiled by GLAAD.
GLAAD Examines Twelve Years of Transgender Images on Television
GLAAD’s review of transgender-inclusive television episodes that have aired since 2002, and which found that a great deal of progress still needs to be made for fair and accurate depictions of the transgender community. This report is updated annually in November as part of Transgender Awareness Week.
Transgender Characters That Changed Film and Television
Though media representations have often been very problematic, there are also many films and television shows that deserve recognition for their complex and truthful depictions of transgender characters. GLAAD has compiled some of the most memorable characters we’ve seen over the years that helped changed the way audiences viewed the transgender community.
RESOURCES CREATED BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND RESEARCHERS
Understanding Issues Facing Transgender Americans
From high rates of poverty, harassment, and violence, to poor healthcare, limited job opportunities, and isolation, transgender people are among the most vulnerable people in the country. This is especially true for transgender people of color. This document includes data about these challenges, along with policy recommendations to address these harmful disparities in a way that will improve the lives of transgender Americans. (Developed in partnership with GLAAD.)
Pediatrics Reports Positive Outcomes for Transgender Youth Accessing Medical Care
A Dutch study published online in the journal Pediatrics found that treatments delaying puberty for young people dealing with gender dysphoria improved their psychological well-being over time. The study involved 55 transgender young adults who underwent doctor-supervised treatment that temporarily suspended the onset of puberty until they were old enough to safely undergo medical transition.
Report of the Transgender Militar Service Commission by The Palm Center
A commission co-chaired by a former US Surgeon General released this report which found inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the Pentagon’s rationale for excluding out transgender people from serving in the military. In one of the first and most detailed assessments of the basis and impact of the current policy, the Transgender Military Service Commission examined all medical and psychological aspects of transgender military service and concluded that the Pentagon’s ban on transgender military service is not based on sound medical reasoning. (The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” did not repeal the ban on trans service members.)
Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey
“Injustice at Every Turn” is a survey of over 6,400 transgender people detailing the staggering levels of discrimination and violence faced by this community, and the resilience shown by transgender people as they fight for full equality. The survey, created by the National LGBTQ Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality, is one of the few sources of detailed statistics about the transgender community. The survey data has also been broken out by race and ethnicity.
Research on Transgender Issues from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law
The Williams Institute is dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy. Check out their web site to find some of the most recent demographic information and statistics about the transgender community.