Equality NC Guest Blog Post: NCGA Should Act to Address Conditions Leading to Sexual Assault against Trans Women
April 28, 2017
Equality NC Guest Blog Post: NCGA Should Act to Address Conditions Leading to Sexual Assault against Trans Women
Ames Simmons, Director of Transgender Policy, Equality NC
As we observe national Sexual Assault Awareness Month this April, it is important to highlight the epidemic of violence and assault toward transgender people in our state and across our country. This weekend the death from violence of the ninth transgender woman of color in our country in 2017 came to light. Chavis “Chay” Reed was a Job Corps participant in Miami and a transgender woman of color shot and killed while running across the street. Mic.com’s Unerased campaign reports that from 2010 to 2016, 72% of trans people who were killed were black transgender women or transfemme people. Right here in North Carolina, the data from a 2015 survey of almost 700 transgender North Carolinians portrays similarly stark realities for our community. The National Center for Transgender Equality reported in the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey North Carolina State Report that:- Respondents who had a job in the prior year reported being physically attacked (1%) or sexually assaulted (1%) at work because of their gender identity or expression.
- Of respondents who were out or perceived as transgender at some point between kindergarten and grade 12, almost one-fifth (19%) were physically attacked and 11% were sexually assaulted in K-12 because of being transgender. 23% were verbally, physically or sexually assaulted in college or vocational school for being transgender.
- Respondents reported physical and sexual assault while seeing healthcare providers.
- Respondents experienced high levels of mistreatment and harassment during interaction with law enforcement who knew or believed them to be transgender. Respondents who interacted with police or other law enforcement during the previous year reported physical attacks and sexual assault, including being forced by officers to engage in sexual conduct in order to avoid arrest.
- 62% of respondents avoided using public restrooms out of fear of confrontation or other problems. 32% limited the amount they ate or drank so as to be able to avoid public restrooms.