“I Feel Like I Have Three Strikes Against Me”: Transgender Women’s Experiences with Police Bias and Discrimination

Abstract Transgender women, and particularly transgender women of color, are overrepresented within the criminal legal system and experience higher rates of police surveillance, harassment, and violence compared to heterosexual and cisgender peers. Despite these rates, transgender women are often excluded from criminology research. This article fills this gap with findings from in-depth qualitative interviews with racially diverse sample of 21 transgender women in Chicago regarding their experiences with police. Participants described the ways in which multiple, intersecting identities shaped their vulnerability to police contact, with many describing having multiple “strikes” against them. Moreover, Black transgender women talked about how their racial and gender identities put them at risk for police harassment and violence. By contrast, White transgender women discussed ways in which their racial identity minimized risk conferred by their gender identity. Findings indicate a critical need for policy and societal changes to reduce anti-transgender marginalization.