LGBTQ Survivors

In May of 2009, the National Center and NCAVP partnered to produce two related questionnaires surveying community-based organizations and victim assistance providers, including criminal and civil justice agencies, regarding their work with LGBTQii victims and survivors of violence. This survey is the first of its kind and sheds light on the important barriers faced by mainstream and LGBTQ service providers to adequately address the needs of LGBTQ victims of violence. This report makes recommendations and ultimately proposes collaboration between mainstream victim assistance agencies and LGBTQ-specific anti-violence programs to increase the efficacy and equity of services provided to LGBTQ victims of crime, particularly hate violence and intimate partner violence.

This publication is for shelters that wish to make their shelters safe for all people by making a few minor but important policy adjustments.

Fifty percent (50%) or more of all transgender and gender non-conforming people have experienced some form of sexual abuse, sometimes from many different people over many years. Transgender or gender non-conforming sexual abuse survivors may feel as though their experience is too complex for people to understand. Sexual assault already inextricably mixes up issues of sex, gender, body image, power and self image without the complication of gender identity issues added in as well. When trans and gender non-conforming survivors reach for help, they find that many self-help and internet-based materials are steeped in binary gender stereotypes, making them painful reading for some. This guide, written specifically for trans and non gender-conforming survivors, aims to fill that void.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) coordinates the National Training and Technical Assistance Center on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer (LGBTQ) Cultural Competency. This project works to identify gaps in services and provide tailored technical assistance to increase LGBTQ accessibility and inclusivity. The NCAVP TTA Center also provides free ongoing technical assistance and support to Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grantees nationwide through a toll-free warmline number, list serve, Deaf-accessible instant messaging AIM, and resource bank of LGBTQ anti-violence materials. The NCAVP TA Center is available for direct service and advocacy organizations seeking answers, support, and strategies to become inclusive of and accessible to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) survivors, on issues such as language and terminology, developing inclusive policies and procedures, building relationships with LGBTQ communities and more.

This report by the The Palette Fund, True Colors Fund, and the Williams Institute presents data from The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Homeless Youth Provider Survey, a web-based survey conducted from October 2011 through March 2012. The survey was designed to assess the experiences of homeless youth organizations in providing services to LGBT youth. It also assessed the prevalence of LGBT youth within the homeless populations being served by these organizations. Overall, respondents indicated that nearly seven in ten (68%) of their LGBT homeless clients have experienced family rejection and more than half of clients (54%) had experienced abuse in their family.

This tool is designed specifically for transgender and gender non-conforming survivors of intimate partner violence. Its aim is to help survivors identify ways of being more prepared to keep themselves (and children and pets), safe.

This document reports the planning phase-related findings and recommendations of HUD’s LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative (“initiative”). The findings illustrate that, while challenging, community-wide planning to address LGBTQ youth homelessness is possible with buy-in, resources, and a collective willingness to invest time in a planning process. The recommendations are intended to inform replication of similar LGBTQ youth homelessness prevention planning in communities nationwide.

This document discusses key concepts and provides guidance to promote effective work with transgender survivors of sexual violence.

Despite the prevalence of LGBTQ partner abuse, there are only a handful of programs in the country specifically serving LGBTQ survivors. The need for more inclusive services for LGBTQ survivors is great in all areas, but shelter and housing are especially wanting. Many LGBTQ victims become homeless due to the abuse, and there are significant gaps in the critical continuum of services, including adequate shelter and transitional living programs for LGBTQ survivors. This guide is intended to assist programs to increase their capacity to serve LGBTQ survivors.

This article summarizes and analyzes the body of literature from the mainstream DV movement and discusses its insights, models, and cautionary tales in terms of their applicability to LGBTQ IPV. Includes discussion of DV shelter models and new low-barrier approaches such as DV Housing First.