Overview

The Transgender and Gender Variant communities experience substantial economic challenges as a result of social stigma and invisibility.  Our excellent progress in including Gender Identity and Expression in our state non-discrimination laws sadly does not erase the practice of social and institutional discrimination and bias

To underscore the situation, King County Transfolk are three times more likely to be uninsured and eight to ten times as likely to be in or near the poverty line.  More than half of the Trans working population has lost employment or been discriminated against on the job. 

Ingersoll Gender Center, the nation’s oldest Transgender direct support organization is undertaking the Empower Northwest project to help address these challenges and help Trans and gender variant people improve their career and economic situation.  Ingersoll is partnering with other Seattle and Puget Sound region organizations to make these programs a reality.