The Pride Foundation out of Seattle, Washington chose to highlight ANDVSA’s “Think/Re-Think: Domestic Violence in Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Relationships” advocacy curriculum on their blog. Check out the full article below.
Did you know that domestic violence happens in same-sex relationships at about the same rate as in straight relationships?
Have you ever considered how homophobia and the lack of legal protection from discrimination might discourage an LGBTQ victim of domestic violence from getting help for fear of being “outed” or did you know that the most common type of male-to-male rape is the rape of a man who is perceived to be gay by a heterosexual man?
These and other facts are highlighted in the curriculum, “Think/Re-Think: Domestic Violence in Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Relationships,” developed by past Pride Foundation grantee, the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA).
In 2008, Pride Foundation awarded ANDVSA a grant to develop a curriculum to help Alaskan direct service workers provide effective care to LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence. Most people know that Alaska is in a state of emergency when it comes to domestic violence and sexual assault. We have the highest incidents of rape and intimate partner violence in the nation.
Last month, the UAA Justice Center reported that 47.6% of Alaskan women had been the victims of intimate partner violence according to their 2010 Alaskan Victimization Survey. And with the launch of his “Choose Respect,” campaign, Governor Sean Parnell has effectively pushed the issue to the center of public policy discussions.
But when it comes to ensuring that LGBTQ people are not excluded from efforts to end this violent epidemic, ANDVSA is on the cutting edge. Last week, ANDVSA’s Patti Bland and Lindsee Acton, took time out of their busy schedules to answer a few questions about their ongoing project:
What inspired you to create a curriculum to address domestic violence and sexual assault within the LGBTQ community?
Several of our direct-service member programs came to us with questions about work with victims from the LGBTQ community. While some national resources existed, we wanted to create something that would speak to the uniqueness of Alaska’s LGBTQ family and the barriers to safety people experience here in Alaska. Working with the Northwest Network in Seattle, WA and our Statewide Training Team, we created a curriculum that we think gives direct service workers an insight into the unique experience of LGBTQ people who come to us for services.
I was most struck by how the curriculum simultaneously shatters myths among LGBTQ people about the prevalence of domestic violence as well as challenges the hetero-centric framework through which most direct-service providers understand how to respond to intimacy partner violence. How have those respective audiences responded to the curriculum?
All of the evaluations that we’ve received have been overwhelmingly positive! Advocates are grateful to add dimension to their perspective on direct service work, while clients appreciate that fact that the advocates they met with are prepared to understand their situation and provide them with appropriate resources. Most importantly, an anti-oppression framework empowers us to challenge the roots of oppression that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault.
Where would you like to take this project as a next step?
The curriculum was only the beginning of this project! We plan to continue to incorporate LGBTQ information and resources into all of our training sessions as well as provide resources to our advocates and programs. Currently, we have seen significant strides in community response and would like to provide more technical assistance and advanced training to further mentor our program staff.
What has the Pride Foundation grant meant to you and the work that you have accomplished?
Our Pride Foundation grant made it possible to create the LGBTQ curriculum and enabled us to provide our advocates with Alaska-specific resources. Pride Foundation helped us develop and implement a formal response to domestic and sexual violence within the LGBTQ community and helped us link advocates and people we serve to sources of safety and empowerment. For that, all of us here in Alaska are truly grateful.
To learn more about Pride Foundation’s grants program visit www.pridefoundation.org/grants. For more information about all of ANDVSA’s efforts to end violence and oppression in Alaska, please visit their website at www.andvsa.org.
Tiffany McClain is Pride Foundation’s Regional Development Organizer in Alaska. You can reach her at tiffany@pridefoundation.org
