Why is this Project Needed?

Toronto is home to the largest transsexual / transgender (TS/TG) community in Canada and unfortunately a large portion of this community has experienced intimate partner abuse. The level of homelessness, loss of family supports, loss of employment, and the combined impacts of harassment, addictions, and HIV/AIDS all contribute to the many ways in which the trans community is left vulnerable to abuse and violence at the hands of intimate partners. Despite ongoing human rights debates about access to services, trans survivors are still reporting “I had no where to go.”

In a preliminary study, 50% of transgender respondents reported having been raped or assaulted by an intimate partner (Courvant and Cook-Daniels ,1998. Gender, Violence and Resource Access Survey). Despite these figures, there has been extraordinary low rates of reporting among trans survivors of domestic assault. Many women’s shelters and crisis centers have identified the need for TS/TG anti-oppression training. The Trans Inclusion Project exists to promote dialogue and facilitate alliances and access between trans and women’s communities.