LGBTQ Survivors
From July 2020
As Pride Month comes to a close, our staff reflects on the struggles faced by survivors who identify as part of the LGBTQ community. Our staff believes strongly in helping EVERYONE in need regardless of whether or not their identity is conventionally defined by societal standards. We also recognize that there are some specific reasons why the LGBTQ community falls vulnerable to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
As said in previous blogs, vulnerable women are often targeted by traffickers and abusers, because those who have less self-confidence, less independence, and less access to support, are easier for abusers to coerce into the lifestyle of trafficking. Once LGBTQ youth come out to their families and others in their community, they may be faced with instant barriers to support. 9 out of 10 LGBTQ youths report bullying in schools. As if that wasn’t enough, they may find that their own families do not accept them.
But beyond feeling the unacceptance of their families, their families may subject them to abuse, which may cause them to run away, or their parents may even have them removed from their household. These possible factors all lead towards homelessness. If this sounds like an exaggeration, multiple studies show that LGBTQ youth make up 40% of all homeless youth, almost half of the grand total.
Now faced with homelessness, these LGBTQ youths immediately have more needs and vulnerabilities, including the need for shelter, the need for food and sustenance, and the need for safety and protection. Potential trafficking abusers can fill these needs in order to coerce these youths into commercial sex down the road, or even solicit sex acts in return for shelter and safety.
Our staff knows from experience that if survivors are not already fearful of police, trafficking abusers are known to put this fear into their heads, telling them that they will be treated as criminals and not victims, and that they cannot go to police for protection. Knowing that some on the police force may not be LGBTQ friendly may create yet a new barrier for LGBTQ survivors to getting the help they need to leave behind exploitation. If they never have a safe way to leave, these survivors may never find a way out of this toxic lifestyle, leading to re-exploitation into human trafficking.
Once these youths leave exploitation and enter our program, our role is to mentor them and advocate for them to potential employers, education providers, and other service providers. We become the support system that they lost when they left their home life behind. Our hope is to become the bridge to connect them to all they need to have a full, independent life, though we believe in leading with our listening ears, not our mouths. We are always open to feedback from our clients and collect anonymous client surveys on a regular basis.
Our hearts go out to the LGBTQ community, especially those who are affected by human trafficking, for we have personally served survivors who identify as such as long as we have been providing housing and specialty services for survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in San Diego county. To support survivors in your community of San Diego, please visit our website.
