Police Violence and Transgender Women Who Trade Sex

• In Event: Understanding the Commercial Sex Market in New York City

Abstract

Recent research, including this study, indicates that trans women who trade sex – and particularly trans women of color – are disproportionately targeted by the police. This increased contact is often compounded by law enforcement’s focus on street-based sex work. This paper explores data collected from interviews with nearly 50 trans women who exchange sex for money and other things they need in NYC. Findings detail experiences of systemic oppression and violence along multiple fronts at the hands of the police, including significantly higher rates of arrest for prostitution, harassment, threats of violence, experiences violence and victimization, and coercion into exchanging sex to avoid arrest, as compared to their cisgender counterparts. This presentation will offer specific statistics and findings focusing on the narratives of these women and their interactions with law enforcement, and bring to the fore trans women’s own recommendations for remedies to this violence.

Author

• Elias Rivera, Center for Court Innovation