The Williams Institute

A new report, funded by the Williams Institute, reveals high levels of reported harassment and assault of Latina transgender women by law enforcement agencies and highlights steps that police departments should take to improve relations with the transgender community.    The report, “Interactions of Latina Transgender Women with Law Enforcement” is based on interviews with 220 Latina transgender women from the Los Angeles area.

BIENESTAR, a non-profit social service organization committed to enhancing the health and well-being of the Latino LGBT community, developed the report in collaboration with Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.  The report is the most comprehensive study examining the trend among primarily immigrant Spanish-speaking Latina transgender women and analyzing their interactions with law enforcement. The data reveal a history of negative interactions with law enforcement on the part of a majority of Latina transgender women.  The Williams Institutefunded the study as part of its small grants program.