title: Experiences of Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence in a Sample of Italian Transsexuals Who Have Undergone Sex-Reassignment Surgery.
abstract: The present study aims to provide an overview of experiences of discrimination, harassment, and violence in a sample of Italian transsexuals who have undergone sex-reassignment surgery (SRS). Lack of support for gender transition from family members was also assessed, before and after SRS. Data were collected in the context of a multicentric study (Milan, Florence, and Bari) on SRS outcome. Patients who underwent SRS were contacted and asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning experiences of discrimination, harassment, violence, and crime they might have experienced in previous years. Seventy-two participants took part in the research: 46 were male-to-female (MtF; 64%) and 26 were female-to-male (FtM; 36%). Thirty-six percent of the total sample (with no differences between MtF and FtM) experienced at least one episode of harassment, violence, or discrimination. The workplace was reported to be the social area with the highest risk of discrimination and harassment (22% of participants). Reports of more than one incident of discrimination, harassment, and violence characterized the majority of participants in the MtF sample. Compared with previous studies carried out in other countries, a much larger proportion of participants could count on a supportive family environment before and after transition. Our results show that Italian society at large is prejudiced against transsexuals, but at a more "micro" level, having a trans person as a family member might result in a protective and tolerant attitude.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy.|2 Associazione Italiana Sessuologia e Psicologia Applicata, Milan, Italy.|3 Ospedale Niguarda-Ca' Granda, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prunas
authors.affiliation: 4 Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bandini
authors.affiliation: 4 Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: 4 Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maggi
authors.affiliation: 5 University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.affiliation: 5 University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Quagliarella
authors.affiliation: 5 University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Todarello
authors.affiliation: 3 Ospedale Niguarda-Ca' Granda, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D000071277:Harassment, Non-Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice / Q000523:psychology*; D057830:Gender-Affirming Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D063508:Social Discrimination / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000523:psychology*; D014754:Violence
keywords: LGBT; discrimination; sex-reassignment surgery; transgenderism; violence