The experiences of LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking, especially transgender survivors, are often left out of mainstream understandings of violence. Survivors who are not cisgender women, in particular, often do not see themselves represented in this framework, in the services available, or in the common responses to violence. Though federal law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation in federally funded programs, the ways in which service providers respond to survivors is often informed by these gendered understandings of violence. This results in services that are not accessible to LGBTQ+ survivors. It can also contribute to service provider bias and stigma against LGBTQ+ survivors, and it can change the quality of services that LGBTQ+ survivors receive, particularly transgender survivors.
This Guide discusses the federal protections for transgender survivors in sheltering services, the impact of sex-segregated sheltering services on trans survivors, and coalitions’ role in supporting service providers in sheltering trans survivors.
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This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-03984-STOP awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.