NSVRC Blogs

This is the second excerpt of a two-part interview. Be sure to read the first part here.     Oftentimes, uniformed service is a career people feel a strong passion for or find a sense of purpose and belonging in. When a transgender troop experiences sexual assault while serving and isn’t believed or sufficiently helped by their superiors, what should service providers know about the additional struggle of feeling institutional betrayal on top of sexual trauma?   In August of 2022, I was at the NOVA (National Association for Victims Assistance) Conference in Denver. I was attending a

This is the first excerpt of a two-part interview. Be sure to read the second part here.     SPARTA Pride is a non-profit dedicated to providing assistance to and advocating for current and former transgender members of uniformed services. Could you discuss how health equity, particularly with regard to physical and mental health for sexual violence survivors, is part of your mission?   In our work, we are proud to include all of the uniformed services, which encompasses organizations like NASA and NOAA. We also provide advocacy and support for future warriors and spouses/significant others

  When COVID-19 changed our lives in 2020, it became apparent early on that the burden would fall disproportionately on marginalized communities. While often described as “unprecedented times,” COVID-19 impacted the country on similar lines as pandemics throughout history, placing some individuals at higher risk of exposure, death, and deleterious impacts of infection and isolation. Similar to COVID-19, gender-based violence (GBV), including sexual and domestic violence, may be a result of imbalanced power dynamics and oppression, disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. At the

This is the second excerpt of a two-part interview. Be sure to read the first part here.   How might being a racial minority impact the experiences of a transgender/gender-expansive survivor in incarceration?   Intersectionality plays a role in people’s experience across the board. Whether that person is in detention or outside of detention. In particular, Black transgender women experience some of the highest rates of violence both in and outside of detention. Holding multiple oppressed identities means that if a person is being discriminated against, they’re being discriminated against on

This is the first excerpt of a two-part interview. Be sure to read the second part here.   When transgender/gender-expansive incarcerated people face restrictions on forms of gender expression like being denied the ability to shave or grow out their hair, get gender-affirming undergarments, or the dignity of being recognized by their chosen name instead of their legal name, how does this contribute to an environment that allows or outright encourages sexual harassment and assault?   One of the many challenges that trans and nonbinary people face in detention is a denial of their identity. I

  People self-reporting as transgender and nonbinary make up an increasing percentage of the population, from all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. Trans/nonbinary communities are diverse, with wide-ranging experiences and needs. To meet the needs of transgender communities, sexual assault service providers must learn about how race, immigration status, classism, gender, and more impact those communities. When sexual assault service providers are learning about transgender communities, it is imperative to learn about how race, immigration, class, disability

For the past 27 years, I have worked to respond to and prevent sexual assault. Working with survivors and providing prevention programming in communities provided a solid foundation for my work at the national level for the past 20 years. Before my current position, I worked as NSVRC’s Prevention Director. This position offered an opportunity for me to learn about the many ways health inequity is deeply intertwined with so many societal problems…including sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. This is why I am so proud that, in the first edition of The Resource I’ve overseen as the Director

This is the second excerpt of a two-part interview. Be sure to read the first part here.     Coming out to loved ones as a person with an eating disorder, as a gender-expansive or intersex person, and as a survivor of sexual assault are all moments that can cause intense emotions and an increased sense of vulnerability. For professionals treating clients who have done or continue to need to do all three in their lives, how can they create spaces that are welcoming, honoring of that bravery, and serve as a refuge to turn to when those moments occur?   Some providers want to be overly

NSVRC is committed to continuing the ongoing conversation about gender equity in the sexual violence prevention movement, especially as it relates to gender minorities. For the theme of this issue of The Resource, we emphasize that the systemic, social, and interpersonal oppression against transgender, non-binary, intersex, and other gender minorities have the direct consequence of increased risk of sexual violence and poor sexual health for these communities. Health equity is very much a part of our movement, and it is up to us to help bring everyone to the table to ensure good health and

  This is the first excerpt of a two-part interview. Read the second excerpt here.   Statistically, young gender-expansive people (people who don’t adhere to gender stereotypes) are more likely to develop eating disorders. Young gender-expansive people are also more likely to experience sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. In what ways do these two issues overlap?   Both of these issues are deeply rooted and connected to people’s bodies and how they are impacted by systems of oppression. They are connected to agency and control over one’s body, and the restrictions put on it by others,