A Scoping Review of Health Outcomes Among Transgender Migrants

Liminal (trans)formative spaces: A temporary escape from intersectionality

“…The term transgender to indicate those who do not identify as cis-gender can sometimes not fully describe the continuum of agender, bigender, genderqueer, trans masculine, trans feminine, nonbinary, and gender fluid gender identities that can exist (Anderson, 2022, p. 2). Castro et al (2022) in their very comprehensive and systematic review study of the health of transpeople in the USA, using an intersectional approach found that health outcomes for transgender migrants were impeded by anti-transgender and anti-immigration attitudes in their lived experiences with the health system of their adoptive country. These transgender migrants are often fleeing stigma and discrimination and in some cases criminalization in their country of origin, but often further stigmatized in their country of migration because of they are perceived as destabilizing of the model of conforming, integrating (model) migrant.…”

“…In addition to the stigma that they face from the dominant heteronormative white population (in the Global North), they often face stigmatization from their own diasporic heteronormative migrant community. Castro et al (2022) describe this additional disadvantage very clearly as follows “ Transgender migrants may also have limited access to social networks or services available to other migrant groups who may provide emotional or instrumental support during the migration and protect against the impacts of racism because of antitransgender stigma operating within migrant community. That is, transgender migrants experience prolonged exposure to multiple forms of stigma in their countries of origin and new destinations” (p. 386).…”

Intersectional stigma and the arc of intranational migration: experiences of transgender adolescents and women who migrate within Peru

“…Migration, the temporary or permanent movement away from one's place of residence to a place within or outside of state borders, has been identified as a key determinant of health [1]. Given the pervasiveness of transphobic violence globally, many transgender (trans) people migrate to urban centers and/or other countries to seek improved legal and social protections [2][3][4][5]. A host of social factors (e.g., limited legal protections, housing instability, economic precarity, informal labor) intersect to impact health across the migration trajectory, including, before, during, and after relocation [6].…”

“…A recent scoping review highlights that the majority of health science literature on the relationship between migration, gender identity, and health has focused on the experiences of cross-border mobility among trans migrants who have relocated to the United States [5]. Yet, for many trans people, especially those in low-and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, the process of migration starts with intranational migration, meaning movement within a country, and at a young age.…”

Experiences of Life and Intersectionality of Transgender Refugees Living in Italy: A Qualitative Approach

“…Furthermore, in relation to cisgender and heterosexual refugees, transgender refugees experience additional risk factors: (1) they may be rejected from their communities due to their gender identity [ 17 ]; (2) they may hesitate to turn to LGBTQI+ groups in the host country for various reasons, including not recognizing themselves in Western gender/sexual categories or fears of further discrimination based on ethnicity [ 20 ]; (3) they generally show poorer health outcomes compared to the general population, and other minority groups that do not experience the intersection of multiple oppressions (e.g., native LGBTQI+ people or cisgender/heterosexual refugees) [ 15 , 21 ]; and (4) they generally have a lower socioeconomic status, due to fewer employment opportunities (this, in turn, may push them to engage in sex work when they would not otherwise choose to do so) [ 22 , 23 ].…”