Food Insecurity, Race and Gender
Food insecurity (AKA hunger) is a huge issue all over the world, especially among racial minorities and transgender and gender nonconforming people. In the U.S., Black people have a higher risk of food insecurity than the average population and scholars predict this risk is even higher among Black transgender people. In this post, I explain what food insecurity is, why many black transgender people experience food insecurity and how you can help.
What is Food Insecurity?
People who are food insecure do not have reliable access to enough calories and nutrients to live an active and healthy lifestyle. People can experience a wide range of food insecurity, from marginal food insecurity, like occasionally worrying about obtaining food, to high food insecurity, like consistently struggling to sustain themselves. The chart below illustrates four levels of food insecurity.
People with low food security might skip meals, buy cheap and unhealthy foods, ask friends for meals, or buy food instead of paying for other essentials, like medicine, doctor visits, rent or utilities. People with very low food security may even stop eating for a day or two, putting their health at serious risk.
The examples above primarily showcase food insecurity as a result of poverty. Poverty is one of the main causes of food insecurity, but it is not the only cause. People living above the poverty line might be food insecure if they live in a food desert or lack basic food education. For example, if someone has enough money to buy healthy foods, but does not have the resources to own a car and does not live within one mile of a grocery store, they will not have reliable access to healthy foods.
Who is food insecure?
Globally and in the U.S., about 11.1% of people are food insecure. However, some groups of people in the U.S. tend to experience much higher rates of food insecurity. For example, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.2% of Hispanic households, 21.2% of Black households, 27.8% of households run by single moms, and 29.1% of low-income households are food insecure. Married couples with children, adults living together and white people tend to have the lowest rates of food insecurity.
What about Black Transgender people?
The USDA does not currently have data for food insecurity among LGBTQ+ households, which is a major oversight. However, based on poverty, unemployment and homelessness rates and qualitative evidence, many scholars predict that Black transgender people, in particular, have super high rates of food insecurity.
A 2011 study by the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce and the National Center for Transgender Equality found that 34% of Black transgender people had a household income of less than $10,000 per year. This rate is wayy higher than other populations, with 15% of all transgender people, 9% of Black people and 4% of all people in the U.S. living off the same income.
The study also found that 26% of Black transgender people were unemployed (four times the national average at that time) and 40% had experienced homelessness (five times the national average at that time). These crazy-high numbers show that Black transgender people have a uniquely high risk of food insecurity that needs to be addressed.
A more recent study, conducted in 2019, interviewed 20 transgender people about their experiences with food insecurity. Many of the study's participants said they frequently had to choose between paying rent or utilities and paying for food. Others said they often resorted to cheap foods, like gas station ramen noodle packets, to feed themselves. Some said they had tried to go to food pantries, but felt self-conscious or unsafe there because they were transgender.
Clearly, more research needs to be done to fully understand the scope of food insecurity among Black transgender people. For now, we can only say that Black transgender people face a unique set of injustices, putting this population at major risk of experiencing food insecurity.
How can we help?
The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled to extend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include transgender people, which is a major step in the right direction. However, we still have such a long way to go to bring justice to Black transgender people.
Confronting racism and transphobia in the U.S. is the most important step in ending food insecurity among Black transgender people. This might seem like an impossible task, but starting small can make a big difference. Educate yourself about racism and transphobia so that you feel more confident to speak out about these issues on social media and in person. Join the Black Lives Matter and trans rights movements so you can work with others to push for change.
If you have the means, you can also donate to organizations that are dedicated to helping Black and transgender people. The NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Lives Matter, and the Transgender Law Center are all amazing organizations. If you want to donate to an organization that specifically addresses food insecurity among Black transgender people, The Okra Project is a NY-based collective that brings healthy, home-cooked and culturally specific meals and resources to Black transgender people.