What place do transfeminine and non-binary people have in organizations addressing domestic violence against women?

Abstract

Do transfeminine and non-binary people have a place in women-only spaces? More specifically, is it justifiable to include them in organizations fighting domestic violence? This question raises different issues, but also strong reactions. While several of these organizations oppose this mix, others are gradually relaxing their eligibility criteria. In fact, trans people report having experienced nearly twice as much domestic violence in their lifetime as cisgender women. Thus, this essay explores the ways in which the debates surrounding the consideration of transfeminine and non-binary people in feminine spaces influence the practices of organizations combating domestic violence addressed to women (LVCAF). To that end, the issues raised by this question are set out in more detail. Second, the essentialist and non-essentialist visions that tend to justify the criteria of mixedness or non-mixedness are raised. Third, recourse to the theories of transfeminism and intersectionality is made in order to depict various limits associated with the criteria of non-mixedness. Guided by this analysis, the essay concludes by presenting various courses of action to promote the inclusion of transfeminine and non-binary people within LVCAF organizations.