LESBIAN, BISEXUAL, GAY AND TRANSGENDER INDIVIDUALS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
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adapted from materials from Emily McWilliams, MPH

Although the majority of sexual assaults are perpetrated by men against women, the reality is that a person of any gender or sexual orientation can be sexually assaulted.

Intimate Partner Violence

If you are being abused by an intimate partner of the same-sex, you may experience a broad range of feelings including denial, confusion, and shame. Women who have been assaulted by another woman may believe that it isn’t possible for a woman to rape another woman; that sexual assault is only perpetuated by men. In many cases, this stems from a belief that lesbian sex is not “real sex.” The misconception then follows that if lesbians aren’t considered able to have sex then they certainly cannot sexually assault one another. This is not true. Considering that men are taught from a young age that being vulnerable is a sign of weakness, gay men may have feelings of shame or inadequacy connected to being sexually assaulted that make them reluctant to admit or report their assault.

Hate Crimes

A hate crime is a crime in which the perpetrator intentionally selects a victim because of his or her actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender expression or identity, disability, or sexual orientation.

Homophobia in our culture puts LBGT people at greater risk for sexual assault and other forms of violence. It is common for perpetrators to use sexual violence as a way to humiliate someone for being LBGT. These violent acts express the perpetrator’s believe that an LBGT person is not worthy of respect and dignity. It should be noted that a person can be the victim of an anti-LBGT hate crime yet identify as straight. If one is attacked because one either identifies as LBGT or is perceived as being a gay man or lesbian, then one is the victim of a hate crime. In these cases, perpetrators may verbally abuse their victims and imply that they he/she deserved to be sexually assaulted because he/she is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Transgender students are particularly vulnerable to many forms of violence because of our culture’s discomfort with gender ambiguity and/or their perceived sexual orientation. In a relationship, abusers may leverage power over their transgendered partners by threatening to reveal their gender identity to others. Trans survivors of sexual assault or intimate partner violence may face increased barriers to accessing medical care and other assistance. Though staff at many agencies are well-trained at dealing with gender issues, this is not true everywhere.

Regardless of the context or sexual orientation of the perpetrators or survivors, it is important to remember that sexual assault is sexual contact without consent. No one asks for or deserves it. Survivors of all sexual orientations say that they have difficulties resuming or starting new intimate relationships because sexual contact triggers memories of the assault. In many cases, survivors say that intimacy—emotional or sexual—makes them feel guarded and ashamed.