FORGE on Forward...

Rape Recovery Team has made reaching the underserved in our community a TOP priority.  Certain groups experience impediments to seeking services for sexual victimization - men, elders, LGBT and non-English speaking individuals in particular.

We want to work toward eliminating those impediments for all and we do so through education and visibility - educating ourselves on the populations we intend to serve and making our presence known.

The purpose of this article is to explore the statistics that we do have pertaining to the prevalence of sexual violence against the transgender subset of our population.

In February 2011, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF) released the largest‐ever survey of transgender and gender non‐conforming people, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey.  Nearly 6,500 responded to this wide‐ranging questionnaire.  Here are some highlights relating to the violence faced by transgender and gender non‐conforming people:

Abuse at Home and at School

• Of those who expressed a transgender identity or gender non‐conformity while in grades K‐12...
• 12% experienced sexual violence
• 3% were sexually assaulted by teachers or staff
• MTFs (Male to Female) were more often sexually assaulted (15%), compared to FTMs ( Female to Male) (10%)

Workplace Violence

• 6% have been sexually assaulted at work
• Undocumented noncitizens have 3 times the risk (19%)

 Homeless Shelters

• Of transgender and gender non‐conforming people who tried to use homeless shelters…
• 22% were sexually assaulted at the shelter by other residents or staff (MTFs: 26%,
  FTMs: 15%)
  

This next one is especially disturbing to me when I think about the intention of the service we, as a rape crisis center, should be providing our community - our service is infused with sincerity and compassion and ALWAYS informed by BEST practice, NEVER colored by personal bias or prejudice:

Anti-Violence Services

• Of transgender and gender non‐conforming people who tried to access rape crisis centers or domestic violence services…
• 5‐6% reported unequal treatment
• 4% experienced verbal harassment or disrespect
• 1% were physically assaulted there
  

I fervently believe in the ole 'Field of Dreams' line of thinking - Build it and they will come.

Our Rape Recovery Team will build the services, the understanding and the bridge because we all need this world to be a better and safer place for ALL individuals, especially those individuals who dare to live their truth and for reasons beyond comprehension are suffering immense discrimination and marginalization because of how that 'truth' manifests.

Fortunately, we have resources to assist us in our pursuit of building services that meet the needs of transgender individuals in our community.  We know how to provide trauma informed services to victims of sexual assault - what we desire to know is how to do so in a culturally sensitive manner and this is where our resources come in.

One such resource is FORGE.  FORGE is an organization focused on improving the lives of transgender individuals by building stronger connections, providing resources, and empowering growth through knowledge.  I had the great pleasure of meeting Michael Munson, co-founder and Executive Director of FORGE, at a conference I attended recently in Austin, Texas.  The conference was built around best practices of Sexual Assault Response Teams and the workshop that Michael led was "Anti-LGBTQ Violence: Hate Crimes and Sexual Assaults".  Michael and I have already been in contact to discuss our partnership in the name of serving the transgender in our community.

RRT is prepped and ready to FORGE on forward in the name of leaving no invisible minorities behind.