Centering Transgender Survivors' Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Victimization: A Critique of Dominant...

Transgender (trans) survivors are infrequently included in the intimate partner violence (IPV) literature, and they are rarely the central subjects of IPV research. Similarly, trans survivors are rarely at the center of IPV service provision. In this article we articulate the importance of centering trans survivors in IPV research and practice through developing a nuanced understanding of the unique manifestations of abuse for trans individuals. Using intersectionality (Collins, 2019; Crenshaw, 1989, 1991) as our theoretical framework, we discuss the manifestations of dominance in trans IPV research and service provision. Specifically, we explain how cissexism, binarism, trans misogyny, and dysphoria reify White supremacist cisheteropatriarchy in intimate relationships, research, and service provision. We argue the importance of researchers and service providers alike to recognize and detect identity abuse tactics as well and how they contribute to the unique barriers trans survivors encounter to access resources and their help-seeking behaviors. With a more nuanced understanding of the ways that White supremacist cisheteropatriarchy affect trans individuals' experiences of IPV, researchers and service providers will be better able to understand and respond to abuse tactics used against trans people.