Resilience News & Events

RESILIENCE STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATION FOR TRANS STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS DURING SUPREME COURT CONSIDERATION OF LGBTQ CIVIL RIGHTS CASES UNDER TITLE VII

As the Supreme Court grapples with the meaning of ‘sex’ under Title VII (7); Resilience wants to reaffirm our support of anti-discrimination policies that include protections for the LGBTQ community. While the Illinois Human Rights Act includes gender and sexual orientation as a protected class, not all states embrace this level of inclusivity which means the Supreme Court’s interpretation is critical in setting the stage for equity.

Resilience supports survivors, staff and volunteers of all identities. We find it particularly troubling that in today’s proceedings, concerns over transgender women working at shelters was presented as a reason to bar the inclusion of our LGBTQ friends in Title 7 protections. We want to be perfectly clear; we welcome transgender folks to get involved in our work. Within the trans community there are alarming rates of sexual violence, making access to rape crisis services critical. According to the 2015 Transgender Survey, nearly 47% of trans people are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. This more than doubles the rates of sexual violence for cis women. We value staff and volunteers who represent the clients the serve.

To the LGBTQ community, know that your identity and equitable rights and protections matter to us at Resilience. We stand with you in solidarity.

Statement by Sarah Layden, Resilience Director of Programs and Public Policy. For more information on this and other policy positions, contact Sarah at slayden@ourresilience.org. Resilience is an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the healing and empowerment of survivors of sexual violence. Through programs, outreach, and support, Resilience strives for a world free of sexual violence for everyone. Learn more at ourresilience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn @ResilienceChi.