Trans Identities & Childhood Sexual Harm
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
How is the experience of childhood sexual abuse different for trans people? How is it the same? What are the current changes in how we talk about trans people in relation to childhood sexual abuse and how does it need to change? Join Sophia (she/her), founder of Secrets Worth Sharing, in conversation with Raf (they/them), a trans person and survivor of sexual harm, as they discuss.
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About your hosts
Sophia - Founder of Secrets Worth Sharing
Sophia (she/her) is a survivor of child sexual abuse, designer and the founder of Secrets Worth Sharing, where she builds a community of having these difficult conversations with 'serious joy'.
Raf - Artist
Raf (they/them) is a Brighton-based disabled, trans and queer survivor of gender based violence and childhood sexual abuse. They are an artist, (un)professional ponderer and nature enthusiast.
Trans Identities & Childhood Sexual Harm
1 hour 26 minutes
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To recap...
Things you should say/do to support trans survivors of abuse | Why? |
Question sexually explicit material that links to an identity | Trans and queer people are often portrayed as sexually explicit and therefore an inherent risk to children. In reality, queer performers (like drag queens) may indulge in risqué, adult humour in 18+ environments, but this does not mean that they are more likely to behave inappropriately around children. We need to question anti-trans propaganda that portrays queer people as predators, just because the community may have certain sexual connotations. |
Approach trans people with grace and understanding | Some trans people may access services, resources and support later than cisgender survivors. Many queer people experienced a metaphorical “delayed puberty” or “second adolescence” upon coming out — sometimes in their 20s, 30s or beyond — which may mean that their timeline for healing from child sexual abuse can be a little different. Recognise the barriers that trans people face when trying to access support services and meet them where they are, not where you think they should be. |
Write to support services about trans inclusion | Take your time to email, DM or write to your local sexual abuse service to ask what steps they are taking to include trans people in their services, research and funding. Some charities might already be fighting a battle with funders to improve inclusion within their spaces, and your letter could be used as evidence that there is demand for trans inclusivity. |
Remember that every experience of transness is different | Just as all survivors of sexual abuse should not be grouped into one box, the same is true about trans people. Trans men, trans women, non-binary individuals and people with other queer identities will all have different experiences and preferences. When somebody tells you they’re trans or non-binary and asks you to use a particular name or pronouns, remember that they have gifted you a way to get to know each other. |
Things you shouldn't say | Why |
Don’t assume that the reason someone is trans is because they were abused | Correlation is not causation — just because somebody is trans and was abused as a child, the two don’t have to be interconnected. Stories of child sexual abuse are complex, as is healing from it, so you can never know exactly if, how or why it has had an impact on somebody’s gender identity. Don’t try to interrogate somebody’s life to try and find connections — just appreciate that they’ve shared their story and identity with you and let them have their own autonomy over how they define themselves and their experiences. |
Don't uncritically consume media | Trans people are currently the target of mass reporting in the news, and many of the stories we hear are negative, misrepresented or caused to incite a moral panic. Many mainstream media outlets are headed by cisgender executives and writers, and trans people are not consulted for pieces on transness or commissioned to tell their own stories. Try to engage critically with the news and seek out queer-led media sites or the voices of trans people. |
Don’t take queer joy without acknowledging queer suffering | Increasingly queer culture is becoming mainstream culture — from RuPaul’s Drag Race to queer-originated dialogue (“slay!”). And while it’s beautiful that queer joy is expanding and coming out of the shadows, cisgender heterosexual people also have a responsibility to recognise the difficulties and suffering that many queer people face, instead of just appropriating their culture. Pride was originally a protest, so make sure that you’re continuing to support, petition and fight for queer rights after you head home from your local drag night. |
Additional resources and tips
*Please note - in sharing resources mentioned by our co-hosts, we are not necessarily endorsing all of their content, but we do so to allow you to make up your own mind.
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