Module D Law Enforcement And The Transgender Community

A Complicated Relationship

Law enforcement has had a long and overwhelmingly negative relationship with the transgender community. In the early 20th century, it was illegal to even dress in opposite gender clothing and many people were arrested for expressing their gender in this way. In today's culture, law enforcement continues to have a reputation of being disrespectful and even physically threatening to transgender people.

More transgender people were killed in 2021 than in any other year on record. There is a long history of a lack of trust between the transgender community and police, which means that many crimes committed against transgender people go unreported.

It's no longer an anomaly to find an "out" transgender person working in law enforcement, the fire service, or emergency medical profession. The Transgender Community of Police and Sheriffs is an international organization that includes hundreds of transgender men and women who are working in law enforcement throughout the world.

Do you want to see examples? On the next page, a learning activity will show you three scenario examples of effective law enforcement interactions with the transgender community.

Model Department Policies

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was one of the first law enforcement agencies to develop comprehensive policies and procedures for transgender employees. They also created a policy on how to properly interact with transgender people. Both documents are ideal models for law enforcement. Review both of these policies and keep them in mind for use later in the course when we discuss the law enforcement workplace.