The ACLU of Ohio has come up with a set of videos where members of the transgender and gender non-conforming community tell their own stories. They have also provided a page that lists resources that are available. It says that there are “approximately 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States, but only 22% of Americans say they know someone who is transgender, compared to nearly 90% who know someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual.”

The low awareness of the presence of transgender adults compared to lesbian, gay or bisexual adults is likely due to a combination of smaller numbers plus the greater hostility that they face that must make them wary of revealing their identity until they are sure of their surroundings. There is of course no reason why people should feel the need to reveal their gender identity to others. On the other hand, when people realize that transgender adults are an integral part of the fabric of their local communities, they are more likely to recognize the need for legal protections that currently do not exist in places like Ohio. These videos will increase such awareness.

I personally know five transgender adults which, purely on the basis of statistics, seems high considering that I don’t really get around all that much. It may be that the number is not distributed equally around the country but is concentrated in urban areas.

Here’s the trailer introducing the people who appear in the videos.