Resources in this section offer guidance to domestic and sexual violence organizations and advocates on providing inclusive, culturally responsive, and affirming services to trans and non-binary survivors.
FORGE is a national transgender anti-violence organization, founded in 1994. In addition to providing direct services to transgender, gender non-conforming and gender non-binary survivors of sexual assault, it serves as the only transgender-focused organization federally funded to provide training and technical assistance to providers around the country who work with transgender survivors of sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking.
Pronouns & Trans People: Victim Service Providers' Fact Sheet
Know and Tell Why Fact Sheet
This fact sheet explains the importance of service providers knowing why they are required to ask specific questions, and explaining to survivors what information the agency is trying to find out with the questions. This is particularly important when working with trans individuals.
Quick Tips: Trans Inclusion, A Guide for Service Providers
This guide contains ten quick tips for service providers working for trans inclusion.
Master Status Fact Sheet
The term "master status" was first used by Everett Hughes in the 1940s to describe the tendency of observers to believe that one label or demographic category is more significant than any other aspect of [the observed persons] background, behavior, or performance. When applied to transgender people, master status refers to assuming that everything about a transgender person must be related to their gender.
Terms Paradox Fact Sheet
This fact sheet discusses the terms paradox. Asking what terms a person uses and using those terms to refer to them conveys respect and openness, however terms provide very little information relevant to providing appropriate services.
Quick Organizational Audit: LGBT Visibility and Inclusion
This checklist includes can be used to conduct a quick organizational audit of LGBT visibility and inclusion in agency physical space, policies and outreach materials.
Responding to Transgender Victims of Sexual Assault
This guide provides practical information supported by the experiences of transgender survivors and some specific challenges that victim service providers may encounter.
Transgender Rights Toolkit: A Legal Guide for Trans People and Their Advocates
Transgender 101: Serving Gender Variant Crime Victims
This webinar is designed to assist service providers in better serving transgender survivors of sexual assault and other forms of violence. Topics covered in the webinar include a discussion of the diversity under the transgender umbrella, social, medical, legal and other options for transgender people, conversation about components of a transgender person's life that may or may not be relevant to service providers and resources to support transgender crime victims and the professionals who serve them.
Safety Planning With Transgender Clients
This webinar reviews core components of intimate partner violence and safety planning; provides information on transgender-specific abuse tactics and planning strategies; offers many transgender-specific examples and potential solutions; and provides a tool for working with clients who seek to reduce harm or leave an abusive relationship.
Safety Planning With Transgender Clients FAQ
This fact sheet provides information related to safety planning with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who are experiencing intimate partner violence. The fact sheet includes components of safety planning as well as information on ways safety planning with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals differ from safety planning with non-transgender clients.
Serving Trans Survivors: A 101 Training for Advocates
Transgender Youth Sexual Assault Survivors: Skills for Advocates
Serving Transgender Survivors of Sexual and Domestic Violence Webinar
Trans/GNC Caring Relationships, Healthy You Card
Part of the Solution: Gender-Integrated Sexual Assault Support Groups
"Just do it. It's what's right."
(Gender-Integrated Shelters: Experiences and Advice)
If you or your shelter is new to working with transgender and non-binary survivors, we urge you to consult FORGE's website for online training and best practice guides.
Gender-Integrated Shelters: Experience and Advice
This report focuses on the agencies who have integrated or are in the process of integrating transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, as well as men, into their domestic violence shelters.
Shelter Tipsheets
Sheltering Trans Survivors Webinar Series
Transitioning Our Shelters: A Guide to Making Homeless Shelters Safe for Transgender People
This guide is specifically directed towards homeless shelters, but it has important information and suggestions that can be used by DV shelters serving transgender individuals.
Universal Design Factsheet
This factsheet provides information on the importance of universal design, or designing for the largest audience possible.