A workshop for LGBTQ+ community members to equip community with tools and resources to help their loved ones who may be experiencing intimate partner violence.

Despite high rates of prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the LGBTQ+ community, most LGBTQ+ people do not feel comfortable seeking help from mainstream IPV service providers. Instead, most turn to their friends, chosen family, and trusted mentors in the LGBTQ+ community. While we at the LGBTQ+ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence (“the Institute”), work with IPV service providers predominantly, we know to help our community most effectively, we must go where our people go. Thus, this workshop was created. From attending this workshop, participants will recognize that anyone can help reduce the rates of IPV in the LGBTQ+ community and effectively support survivors while doing it.

A workshop for those working in the DV field, those working in shelter spaces, and social service providers.

Participants surveyed at St. Louis Pride were asked, “What do you think would be the most helpful for LGBTQ+ persons who are being abused by their partners?” Those in this survey could select their top three options from a list of potential supports. However, only 14% of respondents identified a domestic violence agency as a helpful resource. This workshop examines some of the causes behind that, identifies ways domestic violence agencies and shelters, in particular, can increase the visibility of their services for LGBTQ+ survivors, and works through inclusive intake practices. This workshop provides participants with an opportunity to practice responding to anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in the workplace, whether harmful comments come from colleagues or clients. If LGBTQ+ clients are to feel safe accessing our shelters, we must provide visual cues of inclusiveness, examine policies and procedures to ensure inclusivity, and work toward creating trauma-informed spaces where LGBTQ+ clients feel seen, respected, and empowered.  

A two-hour workshop for domestic violence/ sexual assault service providers working with LGBTQ+ youth hoping to create a support group or refine an existing support group for queer and trans youth survivors. 

Hostility towards and misinformation about queer and trans (QT) youth is at unprecedented levels in our current sociopolitical climate. Quality care for QT youth survivors of teen dating violence is more important than ever. One way domestic violence organizations can provide this care is by holding support groups specifically for QT youth survivors of teen dating violence. This workshop will delve into this by covering the vulnerabilities of QT youth survivors of

teen dating violence, the benefits of providing a support group, logistics that should be considered when creating a group, and an example of topics for group discussions. QT youth survivors need organizations and group facilitators that understand and can validate the differences in experiences, behaviors, cultural norms, fears, etc., that QT youth have that vary from straight and cisgender youth to feel safe, seen, and cared for.

Un taller de dos horas para promotoras/promotores en la comunidad

Los sobrevivientes LGBTQ+ de violencia entre pareja intima tienen menos probabilidades de acceder a los recursos convencionales de violencia doméstica que las personas no LGBTQ+ debido al miedo a la discriminación y a las experiencias de rechazo a los servicios. En este taller, los participantes aprenderán sobre SOGIE (Orientación Sexual, Identidad de Género y Expresión de Género), lenguaje inclusivo y comprenderán mejor los impactos negativos que la opresión y el estigma tienen en las personas LGBTQ+ sobrevivientes de VPI. A través de conversaciones y actividades, los participantes terminarán este taller con las mejores prácticas para responder a las personas sobrevivientes LGBTQ+, practicarán cómo abordar casos comunes de abuso de identidad y recibirán recursos del Instituto y de proveedores externos.

A two-hour workshop for DV/SA service providers and organizations, social service providers, and anyone working with Latine survivors. 

There is a critical need to highlight the intersection of cultural needs, health, and the well-being of Latine LGBTQ+ survivors in violence prevention, treatment, and safety planning. IPV in Latine LGBTQ+ communities remains under-researched and unaddressed in the public health and healthcare field. This workshop will delve into this by covering the vulnerabilities of Latine LGBTQ+ survivors, creating and understanding how safety planning for Latine survivors requires service providers to think outside the box, and responding to case scenarios. Latine LGBTQ+ survivors need service providers and organizations that understand and can validate the challenges exacerbated by complex immigration laws, anti-immigrant sentiments, and language access issues.

A 2-hour workshop for those working with LGBTQ+ college students to be better informed on the unique risk factors, barriers to care, and paths to healing for this demographic.

College is often a first experience of independence for transition aged youth (youth aged 18-24), one that many LGBTQ+ youth are exceptionally excited for, compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers. The promising independence of college could mean moving away from an unaccepting family or hometown, connecting with a new queer community, exploring dating or sex more freely, and more. However, all these sources of excitement are also risk factors for dating violence that contribute to LGBTQ+ college student’s heightened rates of dating violence (DV), compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. When LGBTQ+ students experience DV, they deserve to have an LGBTQ+-inclusive and competent survivor services program to be able to turn to for help, whether on campus or locally in the community.

A workshop for those working in research or interested in research.

The history of research in the United States, including harmful studies conducted on people of color and LGBTQ+ people, demonstrates a clear need for the use of a research framework centered on transparency and intersectionality. This presentation will illustrate strategies for conducting ethical and equitable research with LGBTQ+ community members, with a focus on LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence. Throughout this workshop, participants will engage in conversations about community-engaged, survivor-centered, trauma-informed research approaches and think more deeply about how we can make research more approachable for the communities we serve. Inclusive data collection and intake form strategies will be provided, and participants will leave with tangible examples to bring back to their own research. Lastly, the National LGBTQ+ Women’s Community Survey chapter on intimate partner violence will be shared to demonstrate the power of a queerified data analysis approach.

A workshop for service providers working with LGBTQ+ youth to prevent and intervene in teen dating violence.

From navigating new crushes to making it “official”, relationships for youth can be exciting, confusing, and scary. Add in coming out, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, and a lack of representation of queer and trans relationships, and LGBTQ+ youth are left particularly vulnerable in a setting already ripe for hurt feelings. In this workshop, adult allies to LGBTQ+ youth (24 and under) will learn about the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships that are specific to LGBTQ+ youth. We will then dive into how a youth’s LGBTQ+ identity can be used to abuse them by a dating partner and what bystanders can do to interrupt this pattern. Lastly, we will ensure that participants leave feeling comfortable and capable to discuss relationships with LGBTQ+ youth- whether that’s as a shoulder to cry on or someone to safety plan with.

Black LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are often ignored in both the LGBTQ+ community and the Black community. This demographic is unique, diverse, and resilient- yet they are often misunderstood, generalized, or forgotten. This presentation seeks to utilize both anonymous stories and existing research to understand the holistic experiences, needs, and power of the community. This will be done through the work of direct service advocate Passion Freeman and research of analyst Savy Elahian. Incorporating lived experiences ensures that our approaches are grounded in the realities of those we serve, leading to more effective and empathetic support. Specific issues will be explored including- ableism, colorism, biphobia, transphobia and how that affects the lives of disabled, dark skinned, bisexual, and transgender Black LGBTQ+ survivors. Lastly, recommendations for supporting this community will be laid out from a hands-on direct service perspective and a macro-research perspective. Black LGBTQ+ survivors are culture creators and community protectors, so it is vital to understand their identity. This content will be valuable for anyone in the policy, economics, or data science field.

A workshop for service providers working with LGBTQ+ youth to understand sex work, survival sex work, and commercial sexual exploitation as it pertains to youth.

LGBTQ+ youth are at a heightened vulnerability to experience commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). For many service providers, the understanding between sex work, survival sex work, and commercial sexual exploitation can be blurry, even went it comes to youth. To assist service providers in working effectively with LGBTQ+ youth survivors of CSEC, this workshop covers definitions of important terms that are often interchanged, what puts LGBTQ+ youth at risk of experiencing CSEC, and what a supportive response to an LGBTQ+ youth experiencing CSEC looks like.

A workshop for domestic violence service providers to learn how to discuss economic abuse and repair a survivor’s relationship with money in a way that is direct, clear, and empowering.

Surviving and healing from domestic violence (DV) involves many costs. From the expense of resources needed to escape to the cost of therapy, survivors often pay a high price for leaving an abusive relationship. Additionally, many survivors experience financial abuse as part of the overall abuse. When survivors have had their financial independence limited or controlled, the link between their trauma and money can make financial recovery even more difficult.

When DV service providers are knowledgeable about economic abuse and feel equipped to help a survivor begin to rebuild their financial security, we help to squash the stigma and silence that surrounds financial difficulties.