Being trans in Korea: key milestones and stigmatization across life stages in a nationwide survey of 585 transgender and non-binary young adults

• 발행기관: 한국역학회
• 저자명: Sungsub Choo Ranyeong Kim Hyemin Lee Horim Yi Rockli Kim Seung-Sup Kim
• 간행물 정보: 『Epidemiology and Health』47, 1~13쪽, 전체 13쪽
• 주제분류: 의약학 > 면역학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2025.01.31

국문 초록

OBJECTIVES: Understanding the experiences of transgender and non-binary (TGNB) individuals from a life-course perspective is essential. This article aims to identify ages at key milestones related to transgender identity and assess experiences of stigmatization among TGNB individuals across different life stages. METHODS: We analyzed data from a nationwide longitudinal survey of 585 TGNB adults in Korea collected in 2020 and 2021. Analysis of variance and chi-square test were used to compare mean ages at transgender identity developmental milestones and experiences of anti-transgender stigma across transgender identities. RESULTS: On average, TGNB Koreans realized their transgender identity at age 13, accepted it at age 20, and came out to others at age 21. Regarding experiences of stigmatization across different life stages, 67.4% reported hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks from teachers in secondary school. Among TGNB individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) who served mandatory military service, 29.0% were classified as maladjusted soldiers, and 12.1% experienced sexual harassment or violence. When asked about the job application process, 57.0% reported discontinuing their job search due to their transgender identity. Financial burden represented the primary barrier to psychiatric evaluations, hormone treatment, and gender-affirming surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies key milestone ages related to transgender identity and experiences of stigmatization across life stages among TGNB adults in Korea. With 97.6% of participants under 40 years old, these findings primarily reflect the experiences of TGNB young adults. Further research is necessary to better understand the experiences of middle-aged and elderly TGNB individuals in Korea.

목차

INTRODUCTION

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

NOTES

REFERENCES

키워드

Transgender persons Sexual and gender minorities Anti-transgender stigma Transphobia Developmental milestones