Disproportionate Violence Against Transgender People: Calling Out Transphobia

2SLGBTQIA+ is an umbrella term to describe anybody who is a member of the queer community, or who is questioning their sexuality and/or gender identity. While they are all grouped under one term, it is important to acknowledge that trans and gender-nonconforming individuals face their own unique issues and are victims of disproportionate violence against them that cis-gendered queer people are not subjected to.

A 2020 study conducted by the Trevor Project found that youth who identify as transgender and/or nonbinary are 2-2.5 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms and contemplate/attempt suicide compared to their cis-gendered queer peers. 58% of black transgender youth have seriously contemplated committing suicide, whilst 25% had attempted in the year prior to the study.

Compared to the general Canadian population, transgender and gender non-conforming individuals are also 7x more likely to abuse drugs/substances, 5x more likely to have mental health issues, 2x more likely to experience poverty and homelessness, and 5x more likely to attempt suicide. In order to understand where these statistics are coming from, and why the trans and gender-nonconforming community are affected at higher rates than their cis-gendered queer counterparts, we need to step back and analyze how trans and gender-nonconforming people are treated as a whole.

A 2015 U.S. survey conducted on transgender people found that 46% of respondents had been verbally harassed in the past year, whilst 47% reported having been sexually assaulted during their lifetime, and 54% had experienced domestic violence at the hands of a romantic partner. Data pooled from the 2017 and 2018 National Crime Victimization Survey found trans people were victimized far more than cisgender people—86.2 victimizations per 1000 people compared to 21.7 victimizations per 1000 people—and were less likely to report violent crimes to the police. Research shows a link between victimization and suicidal thoughts/attempts.

From 2017 to 2021, the number of trans individuals murdered in the U.S. has almost doubled, with a 93% increase in trans people having been murdered in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and 73% of the victims having been lost at the hands of gun violence. Despite black people only accounting for an estimated 13% of the trans community, nearly 75% of the victims were black trans women.

With recent anti-trans legislation having caused a 72% increase in suicide attempts pertaining to trans youth, and the Trevor Project having seen a nearly 700% increase in calls to their suicide hotline following the American Presidential Election of 2024, it is imperative—now, more than ever—that we stand with and defend our transgender, non-binary, and gender non-conforming peers, it is up to us to stick up for them and make sure they know they are loved, and accepted.