LGBTQ+ Youth At Increased Risk Of Human Trafficking, New Survey Says

A new study says homeless LGBTQ+ youth are at an increased risk of falling victim to human trafficking than compared to their cisgender, straight peers.

The Atlanta Youth Count, which was released Wednesday and led by Georgia State University sociology professor Eric Wright, found that that there is an estimated 3,372 homeless young people in the five-county metro area of Atlanta. Of the 736 homeless youth surveyed only 441 were “eligible” to complete the survey, among them the majority polled in the Atlanta area and were between the ages of 14 to 25. Of that, 54 percent said they have experienced human trafficking of some kind. The majority of respondents (56 percent) were Black LGBTQ+ youth. 

The numbers increased significantly among transgender and gender non-conforming youth with 71 percent having experienced trafficking during their lifetimes, 65 percent of whom had become victims while homeless. 

Nearly 44 percent of lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth experienced trafficking in comparison to 35 percent of their straight peers while homeless. Over the course of a lifetime, 61 percent of queer people experience trafficking, as compared to 51 percent of their peers.

The study reveals that 64.5 percent of transgender youth have experienced trafficking while homeless compared to 34.4 percent of their cisgender peers.

To read the full story by Serena Sonoma on Out: Click Here

Category: Awareness