The Influence of Survival Sex and Homelessness on Police Interactions Among Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adults in the United States.

Transgender and gender nonconforming adults are vulnerable to becoming homeless in their lifetime. While homeless, transgender individuals are likely to engage in survival sex, which is the act of trading sex for resources such as food, shelter, and money. Although research has yet to examine how homelessness and survival sex influence the likelihood of interacting with a police officer, research has shown that homeless individuals and those who engage in sex work for money have reported negative interactions with the police. The current study used data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey to examine the interactions between the police and transgender and gender nonconforming adults experiencing housing instability and engaging in survival sex for resources. Results from the present study showed that transgender individuals who had experienced homelessness in their lifetime and engaged in survival sex at some point in their life were likely to have an interaction with a police officer. Furthermore, individuals experiencing these two life events were at risk of experiencing verbal harassment by a police officer. Lastly, those experiencing homelessness were significantly less comfortable with seeking help from the police. Those engaging in survival sex also had lower levels of comfort seeking help compared with those who had never engaged in survival sex. The findings from this study highlight the importance of providing specialized resources for gender minorities experiencing homelessness. Furthermore, training initiatives should be put in place to better educate officers on interacting with vulnerable populations.