300 - Spartans revisited

I came across a series of stories from the Albany Times Union about transgendered individuals and issues the State of New York. The article that struck me related to statistics and prevalence numbers in particular, estimating the transgender population as 0.3% of the general population.

I am fascinated by the appearance of minority and the marginalization that occurs when talking about percentages of total population as compared actual numbers. 0.3% of the adult population in the US amounts to around 700,000 transgendered adults in the US, which is the kind of figure that can result in responses like “OMG I don’t feel quite so alone!”, as a dear friend responded to seeing the numbers.

So, yeah, there is a huge difference between presenting the numbers as a tiny percent and as a number of actual flesh and blood people who could potentially show up on your doorstep one day to demand the respect and dignity deserved by all human beings. The population of Chicago is around 2,700,000 and the metro area is around 10,000,000. With the population under 18 at about 24% and the prevalence of transgender individuals at 0.3%, that means around 6000 transgender adults in Chicago and around 22,800 transgender adults in the metro Chicago area.

Wow.

I was reminded of something I wrote back in April of 2010 in relation to this topic, so I will repost my thought.

April 19, 2010

3000

I do not know exactly how the topic arose, but my partner and I were talking about the prevalence of transgender persons in the population, and she estimated perhaps one in one thousand (1:1000). I did a quick calculation. With around three million people in Chicago, that means three thousand transgender persons in the city

When hearing this number, my spouse reacted, “I think that is too many”.

I get a little snippy with attempts to marginalize the trans community just because we are a small minority. Her reaction represented an effort to try to view the trans community as even smaller than we probably are. After all, 0.1% or 1 in 1000 is not necessarily a bad estimate of the inclusive umbrella term transgender community. One UK study estimates the incidence of some degree of gender variance as high as 6 in 1000.

So yeah, wanting the number of transgender persons to be fewer does not change the actual numbers.

What fascinated me after the exchange, however, was the question of why my partner wanted to see the transgender community in Chicago as smaller than 3000 people.

Then I had a flash – if there are three thousand transgender persons in Chicago, we could conceivably all get together at the same time and place. And three thousand of us all together would be difficult to ignore. We would be hard to make invisible as three thousand all at once in the same time and place. Three thousand makes a statement. As opposed to being a small minority easily dismissed, three thousand of us is a formidable presence. Maybe that is why three thousand seemed too many to my spouse.

I am reminded of the movie 300. The Spartan king, unable to get permission to assemble the entire Spartan army, takes a small band of three hundred soldiers to guard a strategic narrow mountain pass against the Persian hordes threatening to invade. These three hundred represented less than 1% of the total Spartan Army, yet, because of their strategic position, bravery, and skill in standing and working together, they were able to hold off the vastly superior numbers of Persian invaders. Only after their strategic position was betrayed and compromised was the Persian Army able to gain the upper hand and defeat the small band of Spartan heroes.

And really, the transgender community activist movements follow the same tactics that the Spartan’s did in 300. Stand together bravely, act in unison as a team, and take the best possible strategic position. Our numbers may be small, but if we stand up together, whether 300 or 3000, we make a formidable presence and statement.

If you can get through the blood and gore and all that, I highly recommend the movie 300 for the story of the 300 Spartans taking on the vast Persian forces.

We are far from being alone.