Bias-Motivated Physical Assaults Among Transgender, Genderqueer, and Cisgender Sexual Minority Youth

Background and Purpose: Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) experience higher rates of violence compared to heterosexual, cisgender youth. Increased rates of violence against SGMY can be attributed to bias against non-heterosexual, non-cisgender, and gender non-binary identities. The prevalence of bias-motivated physical assaults (BMPA), legally termed hate crimes, have been studied in adults, but less research exists estimating the prevalence of bias-motivated violence against transgender, genderqueer, and cisgender sexual minority youth. Utilizing a national sample, this presentation (a) generated estimates of six forms of BMPA for transgender, genderqueer, and cisgender youth and (b) identified differences in these rates by gender identity.

Methods: The study utilized an Internet-based of SGMY (N=1177; ages 14-19) to examine violence by sexual and gender identities. Using a cross-sectional, quantitative design, the sample was recruited primarily through Facebook. Respondents reported on lifetime (LF) and last year (YR) experiences of BMPA for the following six subtypes: sexual orientation, gender identity (GI), gender expression (GE), race, religion, and disability. Binary logit regressions were used to identify rate differences by six gender identities: cisgender male/female, transgender male/female, genderqueer youth assigned male (AM)/assigned female (AF).

Results: Overall, 46.3% and 34.5% of the sample reported some form of lifetime and last year BMPA, respectively. Sexual orientation was the most common form of lifetime and last year BMPA (35.5%; 26.2%), followed by gender expression (14.2%; 9.4%), gender identity (11.0%; 8.0%), race (10.1%; 6.6%), religion (9.2%; 7.6%), and disability (6.8%; 5.0%). Utilizing cisgender males as the reference category for all analyses, genderqueer youth AM were more likely to report any lifetime (OR=2.2, p<.05) and last year (OR=2.1, p<.05) BMPA. Genderqueer AM were also more likely to experience lifetime (OR=2.1, p<.05) and last year (OR=2.2, p<.05) sexual orientation BMPA. Lifetime and last year gender identity and gender expression BMPA were more likely in transgender males (GI: OR=16.5, p<.001 [LF]; OR=12.3, p<.001 [YR]; GE: OR=8.2, p<.001 [LF]; OR=7.5, p<.001 [YR]), transgender females (GI: OR=15.8, p<.001 [LF]; OR=12.5, p<.001[YR]; GE: OR=5.8, p<.001 [LF]; OR=4.3, p<.05 [YR]), genderqueer AM (GI: OR=10.0, p<.001 [LF]; OR=7.1, p<.001 [YR]; GE: OR=4.6, p<.001 [LF]; OR=4.2, p<.001 [YR]), and genderqueer AF (GI: OR=6.3, p<.001 [LF]; OR=5.8, p<.001 [YR]; GE: OR=3.0, p<.001 [LF]; OR=3.2, p<.001 [YR]). No differences were observed for race, religion, and disability by gender identity.

Discussion: Lifetime and last year rates of BMPA were estimated for transgender, genderqueer, and cisgender sexual minority youth. Transgender males, transgender females, genderqueer youth AM, and genderqueer youth AF were more likely to report lifetime and last year gender identity and gender expression forms of BMPA. Genderqueer youth AM were also more likely to report lifetime and last year sexual orientation and any BMPA. This finding suggests non-cisgender and gender non-binary youth, particularly those assigned male, may be more vulnerable than their cisgender, sexual minority counterparts to BMPA. Higher rates of BMPA for genderqueer AM may stem from stronger social sanctions against male gender role transgressions. Future research is needed on the factors preceding bias-motivated violence for gender non-binary youth assigned male.