INSTITUTE INDEX: Organizing against anti-transgender violence in the South

By Sue Sturgis / June 11, 2015

The shockingly high level of violence against transgender people is occurring against a backdrop of legalized discrimination. But a new initiative based in the South will work to end the violence. (Map from the Transgender Law Center.)

Portion of transgender people who are sexually abused or assaulted at some point in their lives: 1 in 2

Percent of transgender youth who report being sexually assaulted in K-12 settings by peers or educational staff: 12

Percent of African-American transgender people who report being sexually assaulted in the workplace: 13

Percent of transgender people who report being sexually assaulted while in police custody or jail: 15

Percent of transgender African Americans who report being sexually assaulted in police custody or jail: 32

Number of homicides of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in 2014, according to a report based on data from 14 states: 20

Percent of those homicide victims who were people of color: 80

Percent who were transgender: more than 50

Minimum number of confirmed killings of transgender women of color in the U.S. so far this year: 8

Of those eight killings, number that took place in the South: 5*

Year in which the FBI began releasing numbers on hate crimes committed against transgender people: 2014

Number of such crimes documented by the FBI in the previous year: 33

Number documented in that same period by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs: 334

Of the 13 Southern states, number ranked as "negative equality states" for gender identity: 12**

Portion of LGBTQ people nationwide who live in the South: 1/3

Percent of LGBTQ funding that goes to the South: 3

Year in which the grassroots LGBTQ organization Southerners on New Ground launched a collaboration with the national Transgender Law Center to address violence against transgender people in the South: 2015

Date on which the two groups announced they were hiring an attorney to lead the opening of an Atlanta office for what's being called the TLC@SONG initiative: 5/26/2015

* They include the Jan. 9 shooting of Papi Edwards in Kentucky, the Jan. 17 shooting death of Lamia Beard in Virginia, the Jan. 24 shooting of Ty Underwood in Texas, the Feb. 10 shooting of Penny Proud in New Orleans and the February killing of Kristina Gomez Reinwald in Miami-Dade County.

** Florida is the only Southern state not ranked as "negative equality" for gender identity; it's among the "low equality" states.

(Click on figure to go to source.)

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