LGBTQ+ Survivors
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Supporting LGBTQ+ Survivors

Sojourner Center is dedicated to serving all survivors, regardless of their identity or background. This commitment is especially crucial for the LGBTQ+ community, which often faces unique and heightened challenges in the realms of domestic violence, sexual violence and human trafficking.

LGBTQ+ individuals experience high rates of violence:

  • Domestic Violence: 44% of lesbian women and 61% of bisexual women face intimate partner violence, compared to 35% of heterosexual women. For men, 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men experience such violence, compared to 29% of heterosexual men (Human Rights Campaign). Compared with cisgender individuals, transgender individuals were 1.7 times more likely to experience any intimate partner violence (IPV) (AJPH).
  • Sexual Violence: Nearly 50% of bisexual women have experienced forced sexual contact, significantly higher than heterosexual (17%) and lesbian women (13%) (CDC). Transgender individuals are 2.5 time more likely to experience sexual violence than cisgender individuals (AJPH).
  • Human Trafficking: LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of human trafficking due to factors like family rejection and homelessness (Polaris).

Sojourner Center’s services are designed to support and empower individuals of all identities, ensuring that everyone has access to the resources and care they need to heal and rebuild their lives. Together, we can work towards a world where everyone feels safe and supported, no matter who they are.

Click here to read more about intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community.

Sources:

  1. National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP). LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence Fact Sheet.
  2. Human Rights Campaign. Intimate Partner Violence and the LGBTQ Community.
  3. American Public Health Association (AJPH). Intimate Partner Violence in Transgender Populations: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence and Correlates.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation.
  5. LGBTQ+ Individuals and Human Trafficking.

 

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