What a Feminist Analysis of Sexual Assault Data Reveals about Transmen

The National Sexual Violence Resource Centre (NSVRC) reported that almost half (47%) of trans and gender diverse individuals have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. This is an alarming figure but, numbers alone don't tell the whole story. Statistics require analysis to find meaning as it applies to our lives.

From a trans activist perspective, a broad blanket statement about "transpeople" as a whole creates alarm, painting us all as a highly vulnerable and victimized population - which we internalize. But, it fails to present any meaningful information about the sources of our oppression nor effective solutions.

A feminist analysis of this data, pulling together information from multiple sources, gives us a richer, more meaningful picture.

Firstly, let's break this down by sex: Transwomen and transmen.

A study by Abern et al reports that 50% of the transmen surveyed had been sexually assaulted, compared to 37% of transwomen.

The Trevor Project reports something similar: 49% transmen, 37% transwomen and 45% nonbinary. (Note that approximately 80-90% of those who identify as nonbinary are natal females.)

So, to begin with, we see that the majority of those who've been sexually assaulted are natal females, whether transmen or nonbinary.

Let's bring in another layer of information:

The same infographic by the NSVRC shows that 72% of the trans participants have engaged in sex work. Most trans prostitutes are transwomen.

We already know that prostitutes are victimized at a high rate. A key study of prostitutes in San Francisco reported that 68% of the participants had been sexually assaulted while engaging in prostitution.

Additionally, a 2024 study by Closson et al reported that transmen had the highest rates of all forms of violence (sexual assault, intimate partner violence, harassment and random assault).

So, by bringing together and integrating knowledge from multiple sources, what once appears to be a broad statement about trans victimization overall, actually breaks down as:

1. Natal females, regardless of gender identity, are more likely to be victimized (especially sexual violence)

2. Prostitutes are victimized at a high rate, which likely accounts for most of the sexual violence perpetrated against transwomen

   
   
   
   

What this data doesn't tell us is how many of the sexual assaults occurred prior to medically transitioning, and to what degree that may have been a factor in the motivation to transition.

The value of a sex-based, feminist analysis is a more meaningful picture of the roots of violence, who the victims are most likely to be, suggests where further research is needed, and implies possible solutions. Beyond analysis, feminism has long sought to address sex-specific oppression and equips us with ways to address the exploitative nature of prostitution. Sex-based patterns of oppression and violence persist despite gender identity.

Which is why, feminism is for transmen.

A shareable video summary can be found here: