Support for AANHPI & MENA LGBTQ+ Survivors


AANHPI & MENA stands for Asian, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, & Middle Eastern and North African. This is a diverse group of people with numerous different languages, cultures, and histories. Those who identify within the Asian diaspora might find connection with this inclusive term. 


Statistics on AANHPI & MENA Survivors 

  • According to a factsheet created by APIGBV Over half (52.4%) of transgender Asian Americans, including nonbinary, gender-queer Asian Americans, experienced some form of abuse from a romantic or sexual partner. Within this study, they found the following lifetime prevalence rates of abuse: 
  • 57.5% of non-binary and other gender-queer Asian Americans 
  • 59% of transgender Asian American women  
  • 62.8% of transgender Asian American men  
  • T he 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey found that Middle Eastern and Northern African participants reported significantly higher rates of:  
  • Psychological intimate partner violence  
  • Stalking  
  • Forced sex  
  • LGB+ South Asians were almost twice as likely (17.2% vs. 9.6%) to experience multiple instances of rape compared to their heterosexual counterparts. 
  • Within the Hawai`ian community, 61.6% of LGBT Native Hawai`ians and Pacific Islanders experience sexual IPV . This is a considerably higher rate compared to the 4% of the general Hawai`ian population and 16% of the general US population that experiences sexual IPV.  
  • Within the LGBT population in Hawai‘i, transgender and gender non-conforming participants reported the lowest percentages of IPV (sexual: 21.9%, physical: 40.6%) compared to other groups in the study, (sexual: 49.3%, physical: 54.1%). This finding differs from rates given in national literature, where typically transgender and gender non-conforming individuals report higher rates of experiencing IPV.  
  • It’s important to note:  
  • This difference is likely due to a difference in cultural contexts, since māhū and transgender communities are celebrated and respected status as a third gender in traditional Hawai`ian culture.  
  • IPV might be underreported by Native Hawai`ians and Pacific Islanders due to distrust of and mistreatment by the justice, legal, and/or religious systems. Patriarchy, colonialism, and imperialism all play a role in IPV experienced by Native Hawai`ians and Pacific Islanders within the diaspora. 

Barriers Faced by AANHPI & MENA Survivors 


  • AANHPI & MENA LGBTQ+ survivors often have strong family units which can be very powerful. However, there can also be cycles of generational family abuse and colonial violence that make it difficult for the community to thrive.  
  • Generations of homophobia and transphobia, often from colonial powers, often facade as cultural norms but are truly survival adaptations that make it difficult for LGBTQ+ survivors to be safe.  
  • There are numerous languages within the Asian diaspora however, it can be difficult to find language accessible services for sectors of the community.  
  • Most traditional domestic violence agencies and organizations do not understand the nuance of AANHPI & MENA communities. There are limited culturally specific resources and the critical culturally specific resources available are often underfunded and under resourced. 
  • AANHPI & MENA LGBTQ+ survivors often have to choose spaces that align with their gender and sexual orientation or spaces that align with their ethnicity and culture.  
  • For some AANHPI & MENA cultures, people are disconnected from their homeland. This tear in community is unfair and can lead to generations of cultural loss.  


Reminders and Affirmations for AANHPI & MENA Survivors 


  • AANHPI & MENA cultures are diverse, beautiful, powerful, and unique. 
  • AANHPI & MENA survivors deserve safety and comfort within their families, homes, and larger communities. 
  • The decisions made to survive complicated family dynamics are valid.  
  • You do not need to be out to be valid in your identities.  
  • AANHPI & MENA people deserve connection to their homelands free of violence and oppressive regimes.  
  • LGBTQ+ people have existed within AANHPI & MENA cultures for generations, before colonialism.  


Resources


Asian Pacific Islander- Gender Based Violence (APIGBV) is a powerful organization that focuses on the needs of survivors within the Asian diaspora  

Hot Peach Pages: International Directory of Domestic Violence Agencies 

Global Modern Slavery Directory: Anti-trafficking organizations in over 145 countries 

The Anti-Violence Project has a 24-hour hotline for LGBTQ+ survivors to call for confidential support: 212-714-1141   

You can find your local LGBTQ+ center and find resources, social groups, and support groups for both the broader LGBTQ+ community and those specific to the bisexual community by going to: www.lgbtqcenters.org/LGBTCenter 

StrongHearts Native Helpline is a hotline for Indigenous survivors to receive support 844.762.8483 (M-F 9am to 5:30pm CST) 

The Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. In response to the continuous violence towards A/PI folks, they created the “ Keeping Us Safe: Centering Autonomy and Care in Planning our Safety” toolkit.