Risk Factors for Violence in the Latinx Transgender Community of Chicago

Abstract

This project was designed to expand on the peer-reviewed literature to understand risk factors for violence in the transgender Latinx community in Chicago, in collaboration with the Puerto Rican Cultural Center (PRCC) in Humboldt Park. The PRCC also wanted to understand how well their programming was addressing these risk factors. A 90-minute semi-structured focus group was conducted in English with 7 participants over Zoom. Participants ranged from 20-62 years of age and all self-identified as Latinx transgender Chicago residents. The focus group transcript was coded using Dedoose software for qualitative analysis and results were reported out toPRCC staff. Participants shared about difficult relationships with law enforcement, their abilities to access health services, their experience with sex work, and other important issues. Participants also stated the importance of transgender individuals advocating for progressive policies and laws, as well as the need for improved training for police and health care professionals. Recommendations for the PRCC included having their own on-site health clinic and increasing the number of group therapy and support groups for specific identities. There are a number of changes that could be made to improve the Latinx transgenderexperience in Chicago including legalizing sex work, taking a gender-affirming and trauma informed approach to health care, providing more resources for public health research with the transgender community, and new training initiatives for employers and law enforcement.

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