Rites Of Passage Documentary

Interesting trailer for an award winning documentary called Rites of Passage featuring Muslim transwoman Maya Jafer

Trans Latino/a Discrimination Report Released

The Injustice At Every Turn report broke down just how badly transpeople were discriminated against in the United States. 

When they took a look at the numbers for trans African-American respondents they were even more sobering.  They served as a wake up call to the cis African-American community and the advocacy organizations that serve us


The Task Force-NCTE survey in conjunction with LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens, broke down the the 6,456 people who took the Injustice At Every Turn survey in relation to the responses of the 402 Latino/a trans people or Latino/a multiracial folks who took it.  People who identified as Black and Latino/a were also included in this survey as well.  332 of the respondents were US citizens while 56 of them were non-citizens.  The report is also available in English and Spanish versions.

Key Findings:

*As with African-American trans respondents, the Latino/a trans respondents found that the toxic mix of anti-transgender bias and persistent structural and individual racism aimed at Latino/a people was devastating as well.   The immigrant respondents were even more vulnerable to the anti-trans discrimination.

*Latino/a transpeople often live in extreme poverty, with 28% reporting an income of less than $10,000 a year.  It's double the 15% rate of trans people of all races, over five times the 5% rate of the overall Latino/a community and seven times the 4% rate of the general US population.   The rate for Latino/a immigrant respondents was 43%.

*Like their African-American trans counterparts, Latino/a transpeople were also affected by HIV in devatsating numbers.  One in twelve Latino/a respondents (8.44%) were HIV positive and an additional 10.23% reported that they didn't know their status..

That compares to just 2.64% for transgender respondents of all races, .08% for the general Latino/a population and .0.60%.for the general US population.   In the Latino/a immigrant respondents the rate was 23.08%.

Education

*A whopping 77% of the trans Latino/a respondents reported harassment. in K-12 settings.  36% reported physical assaults and 13% sexual assault.   The harassment that trans Latino/a experienced was so severe 21% of the respondents reported it led them to leave school.  9% of the respondents were expelled due to bias. 


*Those who experienced harassment and abuse by teachers in K-12 settings also showed the same dramatically worse health and other negative outcomes vis a vis their classmates who didn't experience such abuse.   Those who suffered peer harassment and abuse also suffered the same highly damaging affects according to the survey.

Employment Discrimination

*Latina/o trans people experienced a 20% unemployment rate, higher than the overall trans sample of 14% and nearly three times the 7% rate rate of unemploment for the general US population at the time th survey was conducted.

*26% of Latino/a trans people lost a job due to anti-trans bias and 47% were not hired for a job due to bias.  The job loss rate for Latino/a trans immigrants was 42%.

*54% of Latino/a trans people were harassed, 16% were physically assaulted and 14% were sexually assaulted in workplace settings.   For the trans latino/a immigrant respondents, the numbers were higher.  57% of them reporting being harassed, 47% were physically assaulted and 38% of them sexually assaulted in workplace settings.
   
*34% of the Latino/a trans respondents reported that they had been compelled to sell drugs or do sex work at some point in their lives. 

Housing Discrimination and Homelessness

*Latino/a transpeople reported various forms of direct housing discrimination..  29% reported having been refused a home or apartment due to bias and 15% reported being evicted due to bias

*For trans non-citizen Latino/a respondents 46% reported being refused a home or apartment and 26% were evicted. 

*27% of trans Latino/a respondents reported they had experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, nearly four times the general US population rate of 7.4%   

*In terms of home ownership, 15% of Latino/a transpeople are less likely than respondents of other races to own homes.   It compares to 32% of the general transgender population, 67% of the general US population and according to HUD, minority home ownership nationally is at 49.7% at the time the survey was compiled.

Discrimination In Health Care

*Latino/a trans respondents health outcomes reflect the appalling effects of social and economic marginalization combined with higher rates of HIV infection, smoking, drug and alcohol use, and suicide attempts vis a vis the general population.

*27% of Latino/a transpeople reported being refused medical care due to bias.

*36% of Latino/a trans respondents reported having postponed medical care while they were sick or injured due to fear of discrimination.

*47% of Latino/a transgender respondents reported having attempted suicide, compared to the 41% for transgender people of all races and 1.6% for the general US population.

*Nearly one in ten Latino/a transgender respondents (8.44%) reported being HIV-positive with an additional 10.23% reporting they didn't know their status.   That compares with the 20% of Black trans respondents who reported being HIV positive with 10% not knowing their status..  

Lois Bates Wake And Homegoing Ceremony

I mentioned that Chicago's Lois Bates, one of the African-American trans community's builders and pioneers passed away on November 17 just three days before the TDOR.

Thanks to Rod 2.0 found out that her homegoing ceremony was held at 11 AM CST yesterday at Galting's Chapel on 10133 S. Halsted in Chicago. The wake was held on Sunday, November 27 at Pillar of Love Fellowship UCC.

She's had some health challenges over the last few years, but that still didn't stop her from serving the local community.   She will be missed by those who knew and loved her in the Chicago area and in the national African American trans community.  

Rest sis.  You've earned it

The Gospel Of Diamond Stylz

She's back!.  Diamond Stylz in an interesting video tells you about her relationship with God.

Miss Major Speaks At The TransFaith Summit

From Diamond Stylz video blog, Miss Major, the organizing director of the TGI Justice Project and one of our trans elders dropping knowledge at the TransFaith Summit in Charlotte.

Wendy's Wedding

Discovered some more photos on the Net of Cuban transwoman Wendy Iriepa's wedding back on August 13, and since I haven't done a photo post in a while, thought that would be a perfect subject for one.

This one is dedicated to the two transwomen fighting in Joanne Cassar and Nikki Araguz for our human rights when it comes to getting married (or divorced), and the fight that Ms.W waged in Hong Kong to do so.

We are part of the diverse mosaic of human life, and its past time our human rights in all faces of society be respected and protected.   We want to live, love and have the abilty to marry the person we love just like cis people, and we can't forget or stop fighting for it.