Those with LGBTQ identities endure disproportionately high rates of sexual assault. And many survivors live at intersections of societal oppression including homophobia, transphobia, racism, and sexism. With each of these, we see higher rates of sexual violence, but once those factors are compounded, individuals have even higher likelihoods of experiencing violence. In a society that considers the straightness the norm, there is a lot of work to be done to protect those with LGBTQ identities and in adopting perspectives that go beyond societal gender norms. In a society that sees LGBTQ-ness as “wrong”, sexual violence against LGBTQ people will continue to be ignored, or even justified. For LGBTQ survivors, denim isn’t always denim. Sometimes, it’s the sexuality and gender identity they were born with.
For more information about LGBTQ survivors, explore this resource: https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/Publications_NSVRC_Research-Brief_Sexual-Violence-LGBTQ.pdf