2025/08/11 by Sarah M. Murray, Edwina P. Kisanga, John Mark Wiginton +10
Psychology · Social Sciences · #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Discrimination and Equality Law #Gender Roles and Identity Studies
paper · doi:10.1080/26895269.2025.2544024
Purpose Stigma is a well-established correlate of poor health among transgender people, yet there has been limited evaluation of optimal strategies to measure intersectional stigma affecting transgender women. Using data from a national U.S. online sample of 1822 transgender women and transfeminine persons, we examined the factor structure, psychometrics, and construct validity of the Intersectional Discrimination Index (InDI).Methods Dimensionality was evaluated via exploratory factor analysis (EFA), internal consistency with McDonald’s omega, and construct validity by estimating associations of EFA-refined subscales with transgender pride, depression symptoms, and social capital.Results An optimal four-factor solution was identified: 1) an anticipated discrimination factor, with items reflecting beliefs that stigmatizing acts may occur (6 items; McDonald′s w = 0.87); 2) a day-to-day discrimination factor, with items on implicit, micro-aggressive behaviors (9 items; w= 0.87); 3) an exclusion factor, with items reflecting explicit social ostracization and denial of goods and services (4 items; w = 0.69); and 4) an harassment factor, with items reflecting explicit verbal, physical, and/or sexual harassment and violence (4 items; w = 0.77). All subscales were significantly and positively associated with depression. The subscale scores for anticipation and daily discrimination were statistically significantly negatively associated with transgender pride, and all subscales except the anticipation subscale were negatively associated with social capital.Conclusion These findings support the construct validity of four intersectional stigma subscales for U.S. transgender women and transfeminine persons, while pointing to a need for explicit exploration of the different measurement, salience, and health effects of exclusion and violence in this population.