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LGBTQIA+ Community
Sexual violence and gender based violence is experienced by every type of community and every gender all across the globe. While sexual violence experienced by women may be talked about more, LGBTQIA+ people experience and are effected by sexual violence as well. The LGBTQIA+ rights movements is considered to have started in 1969, following the Stonewall riots. Up until the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, the US LGBTQIA+ rights movement was focussed on marriage and civil rights equality.

Many studies have been done about the rates of sexual violence or gender-based violence as it applies to women and men who are in relationships or even those who are not in relationships. However, not much research has been done about rates of sexual violence within the LGBTQIA+ community. With the rise of the new wave of feminism, the LGBTQIA+ community continues to only be a small piece of the conversation surrounding rape culture, or get left out of the conversation completely. The LGBTQIA+ community, however, faces social conditions which result in a lack of access to resources, discrimination, and poor responses to assault disclosure.

Data
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a study surveying LGBTQIA+ identifying people in 2010. According to this study, the CDC concluded that those who identify in the LGBTQIA+ community experience sexual violence at a similar or higher rate than those who identify as heterosexual. A study entitled the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey was conducted by the CDC and found data that discusses how prevalent gender based violence occurs in the LGBTQIA+ community for members both in relationships and not in relationships. Approximately 29 percent of heterosexual identifying men experience gender-based violence, as opposed to the  26 percent of gay men and 37 percent of bisexual men. For women, around 44 percent of lesbian-identifying women and 61 percent of bisexual-identifying women have experienced some form of gender based violence, while only 35 percent of heterosexual women have reported their experience. As for transgender people, a study entitled the 2015 US Trans Survey was conducted in order to survey the experiences and hardships of trans people. This survey found that some 47 percent of trans people experience some form of sexual assault in their lifetime. Also, minorities and people of color are more likely to be assaulted according to the 2015 US Trans Survey.

Effects on the Community
People in the LGBTQIA+ community face discrimination and stigmas such as poverty, marginalization, and hate-based violence. As a result, people who identify in that community are at a greater risk for gender based violence and domestic violence with a partner. In a relationship where someone identifies as LGBTQIA+, a victim can experience cultural/identity abuse. This form of abuse could be when a partner(s) uses the wrong name or pronouns, threatening to out the victim to their family, or even isolating them from the rest of their community. This abuse or violence often goes unreported. A victim of sexual assault who identifies as LGBTQIA+ may fear reporting their assault because they fear being outed to their families, coworkers, or others. Victims also may fear that their gender identity or sexual orientation will become the anticipated reason for the assault, or that will become the main focus of the investigation. People in this community also fear reporting their assault because they do not have the same access to laws that protect their rights when reporting their assault experiences that heterosexual people do. The very resources that are meant to help them are the same services LGBTQIA+ assault survivors hesitate to reach out to in their time of need.

Current Developments
With the election of Donald Trump the nation has been divided with tension prevalent on both sides of the issue. In the allegations and accusations of sexual assault and gender-based violence against Donald Trump coming to light, the Women’s movement began to rise once again. This women’s movement has focused on ending sexual violence and giving victims and survivors adequate and accessible resources. The rise of the women’s movement was also a result of the #MeToo and Time's Up (movement). Tarana Burke, an activist who started the #MeToo movement in 2007, and actress Alyssa Milano helped launch the movement in 2017-18. This movement started as a non-profit organization by Burke in 2007 to help connect victims of sexual violence with resources and provide a sense of solidarity. In 2017, Alyssa Milano started the hashtag #MeToo when director Harvey Weinstein was accused by multiple women of sexual assault. The #MeToo trended on twitter and gave many victims of all backgrounds a chance to speak out and share their experiences. This demonstrated how prevalent gender-based violence was across the world and demanded accountability, prevention, and access to resources. For the LGBTQIA+ community, the conversation surrounding #MeToo was mainly dominated by cisgender white women, and left the community out of the conversation. Many people in the LGBTQIA+ community were inspired by the #MeToo movement and the election of Donald Trump to run for office, such as Amelia Marquez and Lori Lightfoot.

Hotlines
One of the main ways different social movements, especially the LGBTQIA+ movement and the women’s movement, are trying to provide support and resources to victims of gender-based violence is through the usage of hotlines. Many hotlines exist that pertain to different issues people may want to discuss such as suicide, sexual assault, or domestic violence. Recently, there has been an increase in hotlines that pertain to a certain type of community or identity, such as hotlines for transgender people, or people of color. While there are general hotlines for people suffering from sexual assault or domestic violence such as the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-HOPE (4673)), there are also specific hotlines for people in the LGBTQIA+ community. The Love is Respect Hotline (1-866-331-99474), the GLBT National Help Center (1-800-246-7743), and the Network La Red (617-742-4911) are all hotlines that specifically help and support LGBTQIA+ people who have experienced some type of abuse, in or out of relationships. These hotlines are operated 24/7 by trained operators and will help callers by listening to them and connecting them to resources such as rape centers, counselors, and crisis centers.

Human Rights Campaign
Organizations and projects have also bee implemented to help LGBTQIA+ people who need support or connections to resources. The Human Rights Campaign was founded in the 1980s as a political action group, but has grown to be one of the leading educational organizations and support organizations for the LGBTQIA+ community. Currently, they are the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, who are working to make all spaces safe and accepting for all sexual identities. The HRC is trying to normalize the conversation of sexual assault in the LGBTQIA+ community and provide many resources, statistics, and hotlines for victims and survivors. Many celebrities are also members of the HRC and use their platforms to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and equality. Actors, musicians, and athletes such as Meryl Streep, Lady Gaga, Robin Roberts, Adam Rippon, Elton John, and many more are some of the hundreds of celebrity status members of the HRC who use their place in the public eye to advocate and bring about awareness for LGBTQIA+ issues. Countless other organizations such as The Trevor Project, The Network La Red, and FORGE are some other organizations focussed on providing advocacy and services to the LGBTQIA+ community members. The Network La Red is a survivor-led group that is working to end LGBTQIA+ partner abuse. FORGE is a transgender anti-violence organization that is working to educate, support, and advocate for the rights of transgender people.

Bibliography:
Campaign, Human Rights. "Sexual Assault and the LGBTQ Community". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2019-11-13.

Todahl, Jeffrey L.; Linville, Deanna; Bustin, Amy; Wheeler, Jenna; Gau, Jeff (2009-06-02). "Sexual Assault Support Services and Community Systems: Understanding Critical Issues and Needs in the LGBTQ Community". Violence Against Women.

"LGBTQ | Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR)". pcar.org. Retrieved 2019-11-13.

"The Network". The Network. Retrieved 2019-11-13.

"National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs - NYC Anti-Violence Project". Retrieved 2019-11-13.

"2015 U.S. Trans Survey". 2015 U.S. Trans Survey. Retrieved 2019-11-13.

Garcia, Sandra E. (2017-10-20). "The Woman Who Created #MeToo Long Before Hashtags". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-11-13.

Campaign, Human Rights. "Equality Center at HRC". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2019-11-27.

Campaign, Human Rights. "About Us". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2019-11-27.

Campaign, Human Rights. "Celebrity Supporters". Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 2019-11-27.

"Mission, Principles, and Values". The Network. Retrieved 2019-11-27.

"Our Mission and History « FORGE". forge-forward.org. Retrieved 2019-11-27.