Systemic erasure in data: How colonial legacies and cisnormative frameworks distort trans policy outcomes globally

Indigenous knowledge systems universally recognise gender as a spectrum, with roles like Two-Spirit (North America), Hijra (South Asia), or Muxe (Mesoamerica) holding spiritual and social significance. These frameworks were systematically dismantled by colonial gender binaries, which imposed binary taxonomies that now shape modern data collection. Reintegrating Indigenous gender epistemologies could dismantle the cisnormative foundations of statistical systems, but requires decolonial data sovereignty.

The modern erasure of trans identities traces back to 19th-century European sexology, which pathologised non-binary and trans existence through frameworks like Krafft-Ebing’s Psychopathia Sexualis. Colonial administrations enforced these binaries globally, criminalising gender nonconformity in legal codes (e.g., Section 377 in India, sodomy laws in Africa). The postcolonial state inherited these systems, embedding cisnormativity into national censuses, healthcare, and legal recognition.

Cross-culturally, gender diversity is often tied to spiritual roles—Hijras in South Asia perform sacred rituals, while Two-Spirit people in Native traditions are seen as mediators between worlds. These roles were disrupted by Christian missionaries and colonial administrators who labelled them 'unnatural.' Contemporary trans movements in the Global South are reviving these traditions while adapting to modern struggles, such as Hijra activists in Pakistan fighting for census inclusion.

Scientific literature confirms that gender identity is not binary, with studies showing non-binary and trans identities exist across cultures and historical periods. However, biomedical research often frames trans existence as a 'disorder,' reinforcing cisnormative data collection. The lack of standardised, trans-inclusive methodologies in epidemiology and sociology perpetuates undercounting, as seen in the WHO’s ICD-11’s delayed recognition of gender incongruence.

Art and spirituality have long been sites of trans resistance, from the drag ballroom culture of Harlem to Hijra devotional music in India. These creative expressions challenge cisnormative data regimes by centring embodied knowledge and communal memory. Indigenous traditions like the Navajo Nadleeh or the Thai Kathoey also use art—weaving, dance, ritual—to assert gender diversity against colonial erasure.

Future data systems must move beyond binary frameworks to incorporate self-identification, community-led metrics, and intersectional analysis (race, class, disability). Scenario modelling suggests that without decolonial data justice, trans populations will remain invisible in policy, exacerbating healthcare disparities and legal vulnerability. Emerging models like participatory action research (PAR) in Brazil show promise in centring trans voices in data production.

Marginalised trans voices—particularly Black trans women, Indigenous trans people, and disabled trans individuals—are systematically excluded from data collection due to intersecting oppressions. Global South trans communities face additional barriers, such as anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 67 countries, which deter participation. Grassroots organisations like the Transgender Law Center (US) and Nazariya (India) are leading efforts to centre these voices in policy advocacy.