Why We Don’t Know Anything About Transgender Teachers, And Why We Should

Sabia Prescott wrote for HuffPost about how a lack of inclusive data may sideline the policy priorities for transgender teachers and activists. 

Last month, in concert with Pride celebrations, hundreds of transgender activists, advocates, and students took to Capitol Hill to lobby for inclusive policies and equal protections under federal law. Among them was Sam Long, a ninth grade algebra teacher from Denver, Colorado who recently came out as transgender to an entire student body during an assembly at his school. 

The term transgender, or trans, unlike other identities that fall under the LGBTQ umbrella, describes a gender identity, not a sexual orientation. Transgender people identify as a gender that does not correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth and because of a lack of public visibility — and even discrimination from within the LGBTQ community — they remain the most marginalized group within an already-marginalized population.