Rapists are the men we know, not strangers in skirts

Sexual predators don't need to dress up in women's clothing and stalk public restrooms in order to rape, because the most dangerous place for a woman is her own home.

A CDC study found that nearly 1 in 5 women in the U.S. has experienced a completed or attempted rape, and that 4 out of 5 of these assaults were carried out by someone the victim knew and trusted, like a friend, family member, colleague or lover.

This throws the dominant narrative of "stranger rape" informing the recent wave of anti-trans bathroom bills out the window.

If we want to transform our communities and protect the autonomy and well-being of every individual, we must tackle the issue of sexual violence at its heart, and not at the expense of vulnerable minorities like transgender people.

UCLA School of Law reports that 70 percent of transgender people have experienced harassment in gender-segregated bathrooms. And nearly 10 percent have experienced physical assault when accessing such facilities.

Despite the fear-based distortions dominating the popular imagination, transgender people are much more likely to be victims of violence and sexual assault, than perpetrators of it. Due to high levels of violence and discrimination, the average life expectancy of a trans woman of color is 34 years old.

Trampling on the rights of trans people, will not make cis women safer and it does nothing to address the real issue, which is the sexual violence tied to hegemonic masculinity and fueled by sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Rapists are the men we know, not strangers in skirts."