The “T” in “#MeToo”

Transgender people face disproportionately high rates of sexual violence — but our current national conversation doesn’t reflect that.

by Michaé Pulido

This past month has been Sexual Assault Awareness Month, dedicated to raising public awareness of sexual assault and educating communities and individuals about ways to prevent sexual violence. Sexual violence is, of course, an issue that impacts many already vulnerable communities — including the trans community — year-round.

This month intends to amplify the experiences of those who have been affected by sexual assault and harassment, but often, LGBTQ people go unnoticed, especially transgender people. It’s important to acknowledge that sexual violence, misconduct, and mistreatment is an urgent issue among the community that many transgender people experience.

Trans people face sexual violence and harassment at alarmingly high rates. As reported in the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, nearly half (47%) of respondents had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime.

These already devastating numbers were higher among people of color. American Indian, multiracial, Middle Eastern, and Black respondents were most likely to have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. These rates were also higher among specific communities such as undocumented trans people and those with disabilities.

Trans people who are more vulnerable experience high levels of poverty, unemployment, homelessness, job and housing insecurity, and incarceration. These compounding factors often force trans people of color, undocumented trans people, and disabled trans people into circumstances that put their safety at risk and make them more susceptible to sexual assault.

USTS respondents lived in poverty at nearly three times the rate of the general population — a situation that can be largely attributed to widespread discrimination. Trans people often encounter negative experiences in the workplace, housing, and healthcare. Because of this, trans people can struggle to achieve financial stability, leading many to engage in the underground economy as a necessary and vital means of survival.

For example, trans people often resort to sex work for a place to live, for income, or for basic necessities. And doing sex work puts people at enormously high risk for harassment and violence. Nearly three quarters of USTS respondents who had done income-based sex work had been sexually assaulted.

Engaging in sex work or other underground economy work also puts people at risk for negative encounters with law enforcement. The recent passage of so-called “anti-trafficking” legislation that further criminalized online-based sex work makes the already-high rates of encounters with law enforcement even more likely.

If those encounters with law enforcement lead to incarceration, sexual assault is also an extremely high risk behind bars. Trans people are nine times more likely than the general prison population to be sexually assaulted by others who are incarcerated with them.

Many of these issues are interrelated, making sexual assault a danger for many trans people at different stages of their lives. Yet, although sexual assault has a significant impact on trans people, this critical issue continues to be given less attention than it deserves in wider conversations about sexual violence.

Near the end of the last year, the #MeToo campaign sparked up a national dialogue regarding consent and sexual violence. This brought conversations surrounding these issues to the forefront, but the stories and unique needs of the transgender community continued to remain in the background.

Understanding how widespread discrimination directly impacts the trans community is necessary. Opening up conversations around sexual assault to include the transgender community brings attention to larger systemic issues. Sexual assault is directly related to social, political, and economic issues — and trans people’s stories bring those factors into sharp relief.

Trans people have historically been at the forefront of many social justice movements, especially in pioneering LGBTQ liberation. They have also contributed significantly in the effort to end gender-based violence. It’s important to recognize their experiences and how they are drastically underserved by society.

As we continue discussions about sexual violence in our culture, let’s be sure to include the stories of all survivors.

Michaé Pulido is an undergraduate intern at NCTE.