Black Trans Women and Girls

Overview

Black trans women and girls come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. When we discuss Black trans women, girls, and femmes we are discussing a lot of different people. Black people may be US citizens, descendants of enslaved people, immigrants, or from families that have recently immigrated. They may be of African, Haitian, Jamaican, or any other ethnic descent. Black people may be multiracial. They may speak a variety of languages. Black culture is not always universal, and Black people can be connected to a variety of different cultures related to their race/ethnicity/geographic upbringing. As with any group of people, it is important to learn the commonalities a group has and to see each person as an individual, with their own unique experiences.

Black transgender women also have unique cultural experiences, strengths, and protective factors.  Many Black people find loving, affirming support within their racial communities, while others encounter transphobia.  Harmful stereotypes about Black transgender women, from within Black and/or white trans communities and outside of them, contribute to systemic discrimination against this diverse population.

The oppression that impacts Black trans women and girls at the axis of anti-Black racism, transphobia, and misogyny, is referred to as transmisogynoir.

“Transmisogynoir, a term coined by writer Trudy as the specific oppression of Black trans feminine people where anti-Blackness, cissexism, and misogyny form a unique system of oppression. The term comes from “misogynoir” coined by Black Queer feminist Moya Bailey, who created the term to address the unique experience of misogyny directed toward Black cis women in American visual and popular culture. The concept is grounded in the theory of intersectionality, which analyzes how various social identities such as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation interrelate in systems of oppression.”[1]

Black trans women, girls, and femmes are disproportionately impacted by violence and over-represented in foster care, jails, and prisons.[2]

• Black transgender women are incarcerated at 10 times the rate of the general American population.
• Nearly 1 in 2 (47%) Black transgender and gender-expansive people have been incarcerated.
• 41% of Black transgender and gender-expansive people have been arrested or held in a cell due to their gender identity/expression alone.[3]

Being incarcerated or having interactions with law enforcement may pose additional risk for violence or harassment. For more information on working with trans survivors in detention, [link to section]

Community-based support

Many Black trans women report that community-based resources – friends, family, including chosen family, and LGBTQ services, are primary supports for them after experiencing violence. In listening sessions with FORGE, Black trans women described reaching out to community leaders and loved ones for support rather than (or in addition to) seeking formal services.[4]

In a research study conducted in the Baltimore and Philadelphia areas, researchers found, “In many instances, when gender was thought to be the catalyst for a violent encounter, participants sought guidance from same-gender peers (i.e., transgender women).”[5] One participant described sharing her experiences with intimate partner violence with transgender peers: “I talk about him only because I’m trying to get some clarity as to: Is anybody else going through this, or am I … by myself, you know?” [6]

Experiences with violence

Providers should understand common experiences with violence among Black trans women and girls. Among Black respondents on the U.S. Trans Survey, 58% of Black trans women reported intimate partner violence in their lifetime and 49% reported sexual assault in their lifetime.

The US Trans Survey also documents that Black transgender women who were out in school reported higher rates of violence and harassment in K-12 school as compared to other Black respondents, including 38% reporting sexual assault that they believed was because people thought they were transgender.[7]

Learn more about the 2015 US Trans Survey’s findings on the experiences of Black respondents here: 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey: Report on the Experiences of Black Respondents

In a Listening Session with FORGE, Black trans women also reported some of the unique experiences they had with violence. One person shared that incidents of violence frequently involve multiple perpetrators:

“When it’s a black Trans woman or a black transfem that’s being attacked, there’s usually more than one assailant that’s actually like doing this violent attack. And so that’s something that I’ve seen so often, multiple, multiple people jumping on one black trans person trying to prove a point.”[8] 

Discrimination and harassment

Black transgender women report high rates of discrimination and harassment compared to general trans populations. In addition to the mental health impacts of these actions, discrimination leads to massive inequities in access to housing, healthcare, employment, and other aspects of daily life. Even among other Black trans and nonbinary people, Black transgender women experience higher rates of targeted harassment.

On the U.S. Trans Survey, 20% of Black trans women were denied equal treatment or service, compared to Black transgender men (14%) and nonbinary people (11%). Additionally, 34% of Black trans women and 34% of Black nonbinary people experienced verbal harassment, compared to 18% of Black transgender men.[9]

Overall, Black transgender people experience high unemployment rates (26%), which is “twice as high as other trans people and four times the rate of the general US population.” Other disparities include housing and health; Black transgender people experience higher rates of homelessness and disproportionate impacts of HIV. “Around 20% are living with the virus, compared to other trans people’s rate of 2.64%.”[10]

Black trans women also report negative experiences with law enforcement. One survivor reported to FORGE, “They [the police] used to pull up on us, and they put the spotlight on us, and they’d be like everybody drop and do 10 pushups, and whoever couldn’t do the push-ups was literally going to jail.”[11]

The US Trans Survey in 2015 found that 61% of Black respondents had negative experiences with law enforcement, including harassment, not being believed, physical assault, and other forms of violence.[12]

Racism

Anti-Black racism has a long history in the United States and remains a major aspect of US society. Black transgender women also experience racism when accessing services. This may keep them from accessing the service in the first place or cause them to leave a service before receiving all the help they could have. Service providers working with Black transgender women can benefit from understanding how racism operates and how to incorporate Black affirming practices into their services.

Sexualization and related violence

Black trans women are frequently sexualized without their consent. This process combines anti-Black sentiments, anti-trans attitudes, and sexism to create a unique set of experiences. Black trans women are frequently assumed to be highly sexual, sexually available, and are considered “grown” at younger ages. These beliefs contribute to the high rates of violence committed against Black trans women and girls as well as the high rates of victim-blaming.

This article explores this concept more: Spilling the Tea: Transmisogynoir and Workplace Sexual Harassment Against Black Trans Women

Barriers to services

Lack of available services

Trans women often have a difficult time accessing services. Many service providers advertise services for women, but mean cisgender women, and do not actually provide services to transgender women or do not provide the same services to transgender women as they do to cisgender women.

Often, it’s hard to know ahead of time if services will be welcoming for trans people. For example, trans women looking for peer support after experiencing sexual violence might avoid single-gender support groups, because they worry about being perceived as “too masculine” by other participants. These concerns may be compounded for Black trans women because of racist stereotypes that Black women are more masculine than white women.

Services may also be limited in other ways, such as by language, citizenship, or age, as in the example below.

“On occasion, participants were unsuccessful in finding help at LGBTQ+ formal resources due to age and limited resources. Diamond sought temporary housing from to a LGBTQ+ resource following a traumatic event, but they had an age restriction: “… it’s only [for people ages] 18–24 and I’m 26, so that’s the one thing that frustrates me ‘cause I’m looking for shelter.” These barriers often caused delays in care provision and delayed access to places of safety inhibiting further coping. Participants recommended more age-inclusive LGBTQ+ resources.”[13]

Victim blaming

Victim blaming is when the victim or survivor of crime is considered responsible for the harm done to them. It may take the form of inappropriate questions such as: “What were you wearing?” or “Why did you get in the car with him?”

Victim blaming also happens when people refuse to take violence seriously because it is directed toward certain people. For example, as found in one study, “Some participants who sought direct assistance from a formal resource were met with stigma, interpersonal discrimination, and physical violence, which participants attributed to their gender or race.”

One respondent named Onyx reported discrimination from police when she reported a violent attack: “I called the police and it didn’t work out well. Because the first thing the police said when they got to my house was ‘So when did the sex occur’”[14]

Oftentimes due to racism, sexism, and other biases, Black trans women are not believed about their experiences of violence. This results in service providers and other helping professionals turning Black trans women away from services when they do seek help.

Anti-trans attitudes

Many trans survivors experience anti-trans attitudes while seeking services, which may be even more harmful when combined with the forces of anti-Blackness and misogyny. Black trans women may experience a range of anti-trans attitudes, from diminishing their identity (using the wrong pronouns or name), to denial of services, to hate-motivated violence.

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