Celebrated annually during the month of June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred at the end of June 1969. It is a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride, the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and to demonstrate equal rights.
Throughout June, NYSCADV will engage in virtual activities to increase public awareness and education about LGBTQ+ and domestic violence, including weekly blog posts on Fridays featuring resources, best practices, webinars, and other materials for dv programs used. LGBTQ+ individuals may experience unique forms of intimate partner violence and distinctive barriers to seeking help due to fear of discrimination or bias. "Outing" or threatening to reveal one partner's sexual orientation/gender identity may be used as a tool of abuse in violent relationships. It may also be a barrier that reduces the likelihood of help-seeking for the abuse. Prior experiences of physical or psychological trauma, such as bullying and hate crime, may also make LGBTQ+ victims of domestic violence less likely to see help.
To learn more about LGBTQ+ Pride Month and how you can get involved, check out these resources:
- In Our Own Voices: The only culturally specific nonprofit organization in NYS dedicated to providing services to LGBTQ+ people of color.
- NYC Anti-Violence Project: Empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy.
- Library of Congress LGBTQ+ Pride Month: Learn more about the history of LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
- QUEERY: A resource for art-based violence prevention education programs that use creative art and media projects to raise awareness around LGBTQ issues and prevention.
- The National LGBTQ Institute on IPV: Identifies and responds to the specific and emerging needs of diverse LGBTQ+ intimate partner violence survivors. The Institute informs research and policy agendas, coordinates with other Domestic Violence Resource Network members, and provides training and technical assistance to improve nationwide violence prevention and intervention efforts.
- The Rainbow Library: An initiative driven by GLSEN Connecticut that sends LGBTQ+ affirming text sets to schools and libraries for free.
