The situation and needs of transgender and non-binary people in Serbia

Abstract

Transgender and non-binary people are one of the most marginalized groups in the society, exposed to different forms of violence and discrimination, both on the structural and individual level. The aim of our research is to provide a better understanding of the position of transgender and non-binary people in Serbia. In addition to overall socio-demographic characteristics, we explore the experiences of violence and discrimination in public space, during education, at work, as well as the difficulties with legal gender recognition, experiences within the health care system and needs for different forms of support. In this explorative study we used an online questionnaire consisting of closed and open-ended questions. The convenience sample comprised 71 respondents and included both transgender men and women and the non-binary people. Our results confirm that transgender people in Serbia are exposed to violence and discrimination in different life periods and different areas of life, that they do not feel safe and often hide their gender identity. When it comes to medical gender affirmation procedures, respondents are divided between rating them as satisfactory and non-satisfactory. As the main priorities, they see the regulation of hormone shortage, training of health providers on working with transgender and nonbinary people, individualization of the treatment, and decentralization of services. They also voice out the need for psychological support, which can be regarded as an invitation to mental health experts to work towards a better understanding of the specific aspects of everyday lives of their transgender clients.