Something Was Wrong - Data Points: The Intersection of Crime & the LGBTQIA+ Community (featuring Jimanekia Eborn)

Episode Date: August 6, 2024

*Content warning: domestic violence, intimate partner violence, physical, emotional, mental, and sexual abuse, assault, racism, murder, and hate crimes Resources:  Interpride: https://www.interpride.org/ UN Women: https://www.unwomen.org/ Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation: https://glaad.org/ UN High Commissioner for Refugees: https://www.unhcr.org/us/ Sources: Understanding Intimate Partner Violence in the LGBTQ+ Community. (2022, November 4). Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-intimate-partner-violence-in-the-lgbtq-community N.T. Brown, T., & L. Herman, J. (2015). Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Abuse Among LGBT People: A review of existing research. UCLA Williams Institute School of Law. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/ipv-sex-abuse-lgbt-people/ E. James, S., L. Herman, J., E. Durso, L., & Heng-Lehtinen, R. (2024). 2022 U.S. Trans Survey. National Center for Transgender Equality. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/2024-02/2022%20USTS%20Early%20Insights%20Report_FINAL.pdf Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data Summary & Trends Report 2009 - 2019. (n.d.). In Center for Disease Control. Center for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBSDataSummaryTrendsReport2019-508.pdf Wiggins, C. (2023, October 17). Hate Crimes Against LGBTQ+ People Surge, FBI Reports. The Advocate. https://www.advocate.com/news/fbi-increase-lgbtq-hate-crimes Li, W., & Lartey, J. (2023, March 25). New FBI Data Shows More Hate Crimes. These Groups Saw The Sharpest Rise. The Marshall Project. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/03/25/asian-hate-crime-fbi-black-lgbtq Jimanekia Eborn: Jimanekia’s Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jimanekia Jimanekia’s Website: https://traumaqueen.love/ Trauma Queen the Podcast: https://traumaqueen.love/podcast What Came Next Episode 36: [Jimanekia Eborn] Everyone Does Survivorship Differently

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Hi friends, it's Jiminica Eborn from Trauma Queen. I'm guest hosting this episode of Broken Cycle Media's new educational series, data points. These special episodes will include educational information, statistics, and support on important topics for our community. Thank you so much for listening. Before delving into the statistics and implications of the intersection of true crime and the LGBTQIA plus community, defining key terms is crucial. LGBTQ Plus encompasses individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual orientations and gender identities.

Violence against LGBTQ plus individuals can manifest as physical, sexual, or psychological harm and can be based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Research conducted by the UCLA School of Law reveals that LGBTQ plus individuals are nearly four times more likely than non-LGBQ plus individuals to be victims of violent crime. According to the human rights campaign, women who identify as members of the LGBTQ plus community are significantly more likely than straight women to have ever experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. A study conducted by the CDC reported that 61% of bisexual women, 44% of lesbian women, 35% of straight women, 37.3% of men who identify as bisexual, versus 29% of heterosexual men who had reported experiencing IPV in their lifetime. Meanwhile, 26% of homosexual men report being the victim of intimate partner violence.

transgender people experience IPV at rates even higher than their cisgender peers. An analysis of the 2015 United States Transgender Survey found that 54% of all trans and non-binary people have experienced IPV at some point in their lifetimes. An essential factor to consider is that for many members of the LGBTQ plus community, intimate partner violence often begins in youth or young adulthood. According to the same survey mentioned above, lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school age students report elevated rates of physical violence at 13%. And sexual dating violence at 16% compared to the rates of physical and sexual dating violence

reported by their straight peers, which are 7% in both categories. Transgender students report even higher levels of physical and sexual violence. Moreover, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center underscores the higher rates of violence, including sexual violence and police brutality faced by LGBTQIA plus individuals. Transgender individuals, particularly transgender women of color, are at a heightened risk of experiencing both sexual and racial discrimination.

In 2022, the advocate reported a significant rise in anti-LGBQ plus hate. hate crimes, with 1,947 incidents related to sexual orientation and 469 related to gender identity. Despite improvements in reporting, many states lack comprehensive hate crime laws that protect sexual orientation and gender identity. While crimes against black people remain prevalent, those motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity are on the rise. If left unchecked, this trend could have increasingly dire consequences for LGBTQ plus individual safety and well-being. To add to the difficulty of understanding how vast this epidemic of violence is, the human rights campaign highlights the challenges of incomplete data reporting on hate crimes

against the LGBTQ plus community. Anti-LGBQ plus rhetoric and discriminatory legislation contributes to a hostile environment, feeling more violence and less reporting. Thus, in our current state, all-encompassing statistics of victimhood are impossible to fully obtain because of this lack of safe reporting and safe recipients of survivors.

Without robust interventions, the future looks bleak for LGBTQ-plus individuals who continue to face threats to their lives and dignity. I am often asked how we can posit positively change things. My answer is frequently community and accountability. Although what we witness may be different, we can all be active bystanders, and I say this by being mindful of our surroundings and our safety. There are three steps to being an active bystander are what we refer to as the three Ds. The first is direct, which is the most immediate way to intervene. One can

directly address the situation and support the person being harmed. The second is to delegate and direct others in that space to get help while you're moving into the third step, which is distract. You can create a distraction to allow the person in harm's way to get away. It may sound simplistic, but if you see something, say something, it could truly save someone's life. On a larger scale, in order to ensure the safety of the LGBTIQIA plus community, a multi-tiered approach to prevention must be created. Preventative measures can include far-reaching education about domestic violence and discrimination, less biased reporting processes, and increased legislative protection, to name a few. What is undoubtedly true is that addressing the prevalence of violence affecting the LGBTQIA

plus community will take support and awareness on all fronts. Fortunately, several organizations are stepping up to address this crisis, which are linked in the episode notes. Human Rights Watch conducts research and advocacy on human rights abuses, including violence against LGBTIQIA plus individuals, enter pride support LGBTIA plus communities globally, advocating against violence and discrimination. UN women and GLAD promote LGBTIQIA plus accessibility. and combat discrimination through policy changes and media advocacy, emphasizing the need for targeted policies and protections for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, as well as non-binary individuals. Efforts to combat violence against LGBTQIA-plus communities require concerted action

from various sectors and many organizations, some of which are named above. As we conclude today's episode. Let's remember that violence against LGBTQIA plus communities is not just a statistic. It's a human rights crisis that demands immediate attention and action by raising awareness, advocating for policy changes and providing support services and educational tools. We can work towards creating a safer and more inclusive world for all LGBTIQIA plus individuals. For more information about the nonprofit organization, organizations mentioned prior as well as more comprehensive list of organizations that are working to help LGBTQIA plus victims of crime. Please visit www. Something Was Wrong.com slash resources.

Many of the fantastic groups listed on the website are only able to exist because of the community's help and support from people like you. If you would like to find out more information about volunteer your opportunities, please feel free to visit the resource page as well and reach out directly to the organizations of your choice. I'm Jimineika Eborn and you can find me on Trauma Queen everywhere you listen to podcasts. You can also hear more of my personal story on what came next, episode 36 entitled Everyone Does Survivorship Differently, wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you so much for listening and learning with us.