Violence is usually discussed within the context of heterosexual families and social groups. It’s widely assumed that people in same-sex households, communities and relationships are either incapable of causing harm to each other, or that their needs can’t be met by mainstream anti-violence groups. As a result, significant issues like intimate partner violence or the particular needs of transgender youth seeking shelter from abusive homes are not addressed. This leaves portions of the LGBTQ community without the conventional resources available to heterosexuals who seek relief from abuse.
These and other points were raised at a May 24 day-long panel and community discussion, ‘Violence Within and Against Queer Communities,’ organized by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Projects at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted. The event’s panel featured Alicia Vega, co-chair of Amigas Latinas, and Ann Russo and Michelle VanNatta. The latter two women represented Women and Girls Community Action Network (WGCAN) and the Queer Transformative Justice Project.
Vega talked about the findings of Proyecto Latina, a survey initiated by Amigas Latinas to gather data about the experiences and lives of queer Latina women. Until this survey, conducted January to July 2007, there had been no statistical information about the community. Amigas wanted to ‘speak from a more informed place’ about the women it represented. The questions asked about everything from health care to marital status.
Both Russo and VanNatta felt that the anti-violence movement had moved away from community-based solutions, and that the system depended too much on the state which, in turn, asked for immediate solutions like jail time without providing a long-term plan for the cessation of violence.
Russo and VanNatta also stressed the ‘need to do something in addition to social services.’ For both, such work is especially important because it provides an alternative for LGBTQ people and answers the question: ‘What does [the anti-violence movement] mean for queer issues of violence?’
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