In 2019, the Transgender Education and Advocacy (TEA) conducted a study on evaluating levels of public acceptance of transgender people in Kenya. This is the first study in Africa on the subject. Some key findings of the study include:
- There are high levels of anti-transgender and transphobia in Kenya
- Among Kenyans, acceptance of a transgender sibling translates to acceptance of all transgender persons in the society
- Most Kenyans will accept transgender people if they are not related to them or if they have no social or professional contact with them
- Kenyans who approve sex change and DON’T perceive transgender persons as homosexual/gay people have no transphobia or anti-transgender stigma
- Kenyans who approve sex change but perceive transgender persons as gay people have moderate transphobia
- Kenyans who disapprove sex change and approve arrest and imprisonment of transgender persons have great transphobia
- More Kenyans of the male gender are transphobic than female Kenyans
- Kenyans between 18 – 35 years are less transphobic than Kenyans aged 36 years and above
- People with secondary and tertiary education are more likely to be transphobic and have anti-transgender stigma than Kenyans with primary school education.
- More Kenyans are of the opinion that transgender people ought to be accepted as normal members of the society.