Follow-Up from My First Post

I want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out to me through Facebook, text, phone call, in person, etc. about my first post. I am unbelievably grateful for the support, as well as deeply saddened by how many people reached out to tell me that their experiences were similar to my own. It's no surprise to anyone who knows me well that I cried many times over the weekend (mostly tears of gratitude) and I'm excited to channel that emotion into something that is hopefully meaningful.

That being said, there are a few points I want to make about my previous post. Firstly, I wrote that from my perspective and my experience. As a White, cisgendered, heterosexual female, I recognize that issues around interpersonal violence, consent and autonomy over one's body are not limited to the scope of my personal perspective. These issues are not experienced equitably among all identities and I want to be sure not to suggest that they are all the same for everyone or reinforce White-centric, heteronormative or transphobic ideas. Feminist history is laden with messages that do not adequately address diversity in the context of equality (i.e. equality does not equal sameness). A great piece that touches on this is here. Though I do believe that interpersonal violence is a gendered issue, I think it's important to note that gender and power manifest themselves in a variety of ways. To highlight how deeply interpersonal violence impacts individuals who identify as LGBTQ, people of color and people living with physical and mental disabilities, I've included some information below (A note: I am aware that it is possible to claim many and/or all of these identity factors. Unfortunately, intersectionality doesn't currently play a prominent role in research of this type). While it's important to me to share my story and my perspective, I think it is crucial to recognize and talk about equality and oppression in a way that does not assume sameness or place my story and my experience above those of others.

Finally, I am interested in your feedback. I have lots of ideas of things to talk about and want to hear from you (aka my family who will likely be the only ones reading this...) about what you want to see.  Send me a message, leave a comment or just tell me in person if there's something you'd like to see discussed or you'd like me to research.

Regarding interpersonal violence and individuals that identify as LGBTQ, the CDC's National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey found:

• 44% of women who identify as lesbians and 61% of women who identify as bisexual experience rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 35% of women who identify as heterosexual.
• 26% of men who identify as gay and 37% of men who identify as bisexual experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, compared to 29% of heterosexual men
• 46% of women who identify as bisexual have been raped, compared to 17% of women who identify as heterosexual and 13% of women who identify as lesbians.
• 22% of women who identify as bisexual  have been raped by an intimate partner, compared to 9% of women who identify as heterosexual.
• 40% of men who identify as gay and 47% of men who identify as bisexual have experienced sexual violence other than rape, compared to 21 percent of heterosexual men
• Among transgender racial minorities, 24% of transgender American Indians, 18% of transgender people who identified as multiracial, 17% of transgender Asians, and 15% of Black transgender respondents experienced sexual assault in K-12 education settings – much higher rates than students of other races. Transgender women respondents experienced sexual assault more often than their transgender male peers.

Source: http://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-assault-and-the-lgbt-community

Regarding women of color*:

• An estimated 29.1% of women who identify as African American are victimized by intimate partner violence in their lifetime (rape, physical assault or stalking). 
• Women who identify as African American  experience intimate partner violence at a rate 35% higher than that of females who identify as White, and about 2.5 times the rate of women of other races.
• In an Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence survey, 41-60% of API respondents reported experiencing DV (physical and/or sexual) during their lifetimes. 
• Project AWARE’s (Asian Women Advocating Respect and Empowerment) 2000-2001 survey of 178 API women found that 81.1% reported experiencing at least one form of intimate partner violence in the past year. 
• According to the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS), 23.4% Hispanic/Latino females are victimized by intimate partner violence (IPV) in a lifetime, defined by rape, physical assault or stalking.
• 48% of Latinas in one study reported that their partner’s violence against them had increased since they immigrated to the U.S

*This does not address all racial and ethnic identities. I am aware of this and will hopefully be able to find more information in the future.

Source: http://www.doj.state.or.us/victims/pdf/women_of_color_network_facts_domestic_violence_2006.pdf - NOTE: This information is from 2006. Though I'm sure more recent information is available, I wasn't able to find it.

Regarding people living with disabilities:

• Domestic violence is considered to be the #1 issue nationwide
• 80% of women living with disabilities have been sexually assaulted
• Rates of abuse for both men and women living with disabilities have increased from 31%-83%

Source: http://www.bflnyc.org/about-us/domestic-violence-disability/