TRENTON - The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) joins the observance of International Transgender Day of Visibility, recognized worldwide on March 31 since 2009.

Often referred to as Trans Day of Visibility, the annual observance is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of transgender and gender non-conforming people to society and to raise awareness of the discrimination facing the community.

“NJDOH is proud to continue its work and support of programs that improve the health and life circumstances of transgender and gender non-conforming people,” said New Jersey Health Commissioner Kaitlan Baston, MD, MSc, DFASAM. “Our goal is to reduce barriers and improve health outcomes for this community. The numbers speak for themselves. There is no doubt that improving access to clinically and culturally appropriate care and support is critical.”

The New Jersey Transgender Information Hub (transgender.nj.gov) provides information and resources for transgender and non-binary people in the Garden State. This includes tools from legal aid to mental and medical support, and information on how to change a legal name. Resources are also available when an act of discrimination occurs. In recent years, the Health Department has implemented laws that codified marriage equality, enable New Jerseyans’ vital records to reflect their gender identifies, and protect LGBTQ+ seniors in long-term care settings as well as programs that support youth mental health and fight diseases like HIV that have historically disproportionately impacted the LGBTQ+ community.

NJ GURRRLS Survey & Findings

Through data collection, analyses, and participation in longstanding national efforts like the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance program, NJDOH continues its work to identify health inequities and to implement interventions to address them throughout the State. Most recently, NJDOH, partnered with the North Jersey Community Research Initiative to implement the New Jersey Garnering Urgent Recommendations, Resources, & Research to Lift up Sisters (NJ GURRRLS) study. With nearly 200 participants, the study examined the health and life experiences of women of trans experience and transfeminine people (WTE/TFP) between July 2023 and June 2024.

Almost a quarter of NJ GURRRLS study participants (23%) reported that they did not receive needed medical care in the year prior to completing the survey because they could not afford it. The high uninsurance rate among these participants (14%) – almost double that of the statewide population (7.2%) at the time of the survey – and economic instability were likely contributing factors to this inability to afford necessary medical care.

Additionally, nearly half (46%) of participants were living in poverty. A significant contributor to the high poverty rate is likely the high unemployment rate (34%) of survey participants, nearly eight times the unemployment rate in NJ at the time of the survey (4.4%). 

Participants also experienced high levels of food and housing insecurity, likely a result of the high rates of unemployment and poverty. Over half of participants (55%) reported experiencing food insecurity in the past 12 months. And 40% of participants experienced some form of housing insecurity in the year prior to the survey, with 23% having experienced homelessness in the past 12 months.

Additionally, participants of the NJ GURRRLS survey encountered high rates of mistreatment and discrimination while seeking health care. Almost a third (29%) of those who saw a health care provider in the past year reported experiencing at least one instance of discrimination or harassment in a health care setting due to being transgender. This included being denied or given lower quality health care (16%), having to teach a health care provider about transgender people to get appropriate care (17%), and being asked unnecessary or invasive questions about their gender identity that were not related to the reason for the visit (11%). Furthermore, about one-third (31%) did not have a health care provider with whom they felt comfortable discussing gender-related topics. And 24% of participants avoided seeking health care when they needed it in the past year due to fear of being mistreated because of being transgender or non-conforming.  

Gender identity-based discrimination is pervasive among WTE/TFP, with the majority (67%) of NJ GURRRLS study participants reported having experienced discrimination in the past year due to being transgender.

The NJ GURRRLS project underscores an urgent need for targeted action to address the disparities faced by WTE/TFP in New Jersey. This may include eliminating barriers to high-quality and affordable health care and gender-affirming care, creating employment and housing opportunities, and strengthening existing systems of support at the local and state levels that meet the needs and reduce experiences of hardship of WTE/TFP and the broader transgender community in New Jersey. 

“The rates of discrimination, unemployment, poverty, food insecurity, and HIV among WTE/TFP are an urgent call to action, and we have to prioritize reducing these disparities,” added Commissioner Baston. “We have to work together to develop effective interventions to ensure trans and gender non-conforming New Jerseyans are able to live their healthiest and most fulfilling lives. Doing so will help us all, by creating thriving communities with opportunities for everyone. This American dream is for all, not a select few.”

The New Jersey Law Against Discrimination provides protections against discrimination and harassment targeting gender identity and gender expression, including being transgender, non-binary, or gender non-conforming. Under the law, everyone has the right to equal treatment free from discrimination and harassment and consistent with one’s self-proclaimed gender identity or expression.

The New Jersey Department of Health is a nationally accredited health department working to ensure that all New Jerseyans live long, healthy lives and reach their fullest potential. With more than 5,500 employees, the Department serves to protect the public’s health, promote healthy communities, and continue to improve the quality of health care in New Jersey.