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Trans and homeless

February 01 2025

On the dual stigma suffered by trans people experiencing homelessness. Words by Mx. Adam Khan

Trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people are more susceptible to homelessness than cisgender (a person whose gender and identity corresponds with their birth gender) people due to social disadvantages, social stigma, and discrimination. Stonewall Housing and AKT, two national charities that provide homelessness services for LGBTIQA+ people, have compiled research which shows that 20% of LGBTIQA+ people have experienced homelessness in their lives. This figure rises to 25% for trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people. Since 2017, the numbers of trans people experiencing homelessness has been increasing exponentially annually.

Alongside root causes of homelessness, such as poverty, trans people often face community-specific reasons for homelessness. One of these factors, which adds to the stigmatisation of any gender minority identity, is seeking acceptance from the people you live with.

One of the most prevalent reasons for trans homelessness is family rejection, which is where the person’s family are at conflict with the person’s trans identity. This is a dilemma for so many young trans people, as they may perceive that their families aren’t tolerant of non-cisheteronormative expressions of gender, which can be due to social stigma, political views, cultural norms, religious doctrines and more. This is especially apparent in rural communities as well as communities where the culture is typically intolerant of LGBTIQA+ identities. A choice which many trans people in these circumstances face is to either A). stay ‘closeted’ and endure a detrimental impact to their mental wellbeing due to living as a gender that doesn’t fit with them, or B). risk coming out to be their authentic self and hoping for acceptance, or at least amicability.

The dualism of having a stable home with deteriorating mental health and gender dysphoria, or risking having a home and family to be able to live as your authentic self is a battle which many trans people face at some point in their lives – a battle often overlooked by financially strained support services. A common experience of young trans people ‘coming out’ in the family home is an ultimatum, to either ‘go back into the closet’ and stay with the family whilst living as their gender assigned at birth, or live as their authentic selves and be homeless.

Also, in many cases, ‘coming out’ leads to ostracisation, being asked to leave the home straight away. An AKT survey showed that almost two thirds of young trans people felt threatened by their family members before they became homeless.

Homelessness can take many forms, from living in temporary accommodation, such as hostels and sofa surfing, to rough sleeping on the streets. All of these situations have risks, causing many trans people to ‘go back into the closet’ or ‘stealth as their birth gender’ during their homeless experience in order to feel safer.

Rough sleeping can be particularly dangerous for trans people as they are more likely to experience targeted violence, sexual exploitation and substance misuse. Being trans of course has its own barriers in society, such as often limited access to healthcare with long waiting lists, as well as culture war rhetoric vilifying the community, adding to the stigma of being trans. Similarly, gatekept support services for people who are homeless, often with waiting lists, too, is another barrier. Anti-homeless architecture is also being implemented in many local authorities. An inaccurate rhetoric often held by wider society about the issues of homelessness adds to the stigma of homelessness. People with either, or both, of these life experiences face discrimination, ranging from microaggressions to personal violence.

Being trans and homeless compounds both of the stigmas and discrimination that come with each life experience – neither of which are reasons to deprive someone of their human rights, including the rights to food, shelter, safety, healthcare and privacy. Ideally, homelessness organisations should be holistically supporting each individual with informed, joint decision-making, with compassion and without conditions, to ensure that trans people experiencing homelessness can access the support that they need.

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