Because the best way to fight bigotry is through exposure. This is why colleges and cities run more liberal - because that's where people are introduced to and live around a wider variety of people and cultures and realize "Oh, they're people, just like me."

I'm working class. I'm trans. I've never met a Mexican farmer. If I said that I find caring about the issues that Mexicans face alienating, would the fact that I've never even met a Mexican matter? It absolutely would.

The fact that none of the people that you work with have probably ever known a single trans person is very important to how they've formed their opinions.

3-ish percentage at best, same as the general population, although most who are either won't figure it out or will deny it to themselves.