“They Don't Identify With Us”: Perceptions of Police by Australian Transgender People

Previous research indicates that transgender people are one of the most victimized groups in Western society and are more likely than other people to be ill treated by police. However Australian research examining transgender people's perceptions of the police and policing is lacking. It is also an area of research needing systematic inquiry. Using in-depth interviews conducted with members of the transgender community (N = 21) in one Australian state, the current research builds upon previous work examining how transgender people view police. Overall, the research determines that transgender people's perceptions of police form around negative perceptions of intergroup difference. They also form around an expectation that police will treat transgender people badly because of their gender expression and police perceptions of normative gender identity.