“They Aren’t Our Friends": Minority Stress and Fear of the Police among Transgender People

• In Event: Fraught Relations: LGBTQIA2S+ Populations and Police

Abstract

Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people experience disproportionately high rates of interpersonal violence, especially sexual assault and domestic violence. Existing literature, however, shows that TGNC people are less trusting of formal support services (like the police) compared to the general population. This project uses data from 56 semi-structured interviews to examine the reporting experiences of TGNC people with the police. In short, the research found that the TGNC participants in the study did not trust the police, even when they had no prior experience with the police, despite the fact that they often experienced multiple different forms of violence throughout their lives. This presentation explores implications for policy, practice, and future research.

Author

• Shanna Felix, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse