Human Trafficking in the LGBTQ+ Community
LGBTQ+IA folks are much more likely to be put into what we would call precarious labor.
Precarious labor is the type of work that is low paying, high risk for injury, lacks job protections (e.g., paid under the table, independent contractor, etc.), street-based work (vendors, sex work, selling drugs, etc.) and often leads to exploitation and trafficking.
When there’s nowhere else to turn to, staying in precarious work seems like the only option.
Push factors are the conditions that society creates which marginalizes groups of people. For LGBTQIA+ folks, those push factors may include:
Transphobia
Discrimination (housing, employment, shelter options, etc.)
Immigration status
Houselessness
Transphobia and discrimination are a common reason for most trans folks, especially youth, to turn to precarious work.
Trans immigrants, often fleeing anti-Trans violence, face multiple types of violence, including xenophobia and deportation. Familial rejection, another form of violence, pushes Trans youth into houselessness. Trans youth make up 40% of houseless youth.
Transphobia, discrimination, and lack of livable wages push LGBTQIA+ folks into precarious work.
Anti-trafficking must include the experiences of LGBTQ+IA folks.
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If you, or anyone you know, is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or human trafficking, please call HAVEN on our 24/7 crisis line at (209) 577-5980 or our business line at (209) 524-4331.