Prop 8 Overturned!
Yesterday, a judge in San Francisco overturned Proposition 8 saying that it violates constitutional rights. Click here for full article.
Papers – Racial Profiling & Immigration Law in Arizona
Just how do you avoid bias, racism and stereotyping with the new immigration law in Arizona? Dr. Dovidio provides a concrete, direct perspective and implications on the new law. Click here to read the interview.
LGBTQ Crime Victims Neglected by Nation’s Victim Support System, Says Landmark Report
Washington, DC–The National Center for Victims of Crime and the
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs today released Why It
Matters: Rethinking Victim Assistance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender, and Queer Victims of Hate Violence and Intimate Partner
Violence. This groundbreaking report, the product of a 2009 survey of
victim assistance providers and LGBTQ anti-violence programs throughout
the nation, describes widespread gaps in victim services for LGBTQ
victims of crime and recommends steps to improve the services and their
accessibility.
The Why It Matters survey found that LGBTQ victims do not have
consistent access to culturally competent services to prevent or help
victims recover from violence. Most respondent organizations lack
outreach to LGBTQ victims, LGBTQ cultural competence training for staff,
LGBTQ-specific victim services polices and practices, and collaboration
with LGBTQ providers. Too often, mainstream victim assistance agencies
do not provide a culturally sensitive response to these victims, and
LGBTQ-specific anti-violence programs either lack resources to meet the
need or simply do not exist. As a result, LGBTQ victims suffer
disproportionately from violence and its aftereffects.
“This first-of-its-kind report reveals major deficiencies in our
nation’s response to LGBTQ victims of crime,” said Jeff Dion, acting
executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime. “We hope
our collaboration with NCAVP will begin a long-overdue process of
addressing the serious problems this report describes.”
Solving these problems, the report argues, requires eliminating the
obstacles that prevent LGBTQ victims from reporting crimes and accessing
victim services. Law enforcement agencies often underestimate the levels
of violence against these victims, and the victims–fearing
discrimination and further consequences–often hesitate to report
intimate partner or hate-crime violence, or to seek victim services.
The report recommends increased support for LGBTQ-focused training,
education for service providers and first responders, as well as further
study to determine the specific needs of LGBTQ victims and the
prevalence of crimes against them. It also recommends increased
collaboration among LGBTQ anti-violence programs and mainstream victim
assistance providers, changes to ensure equal access to state and
federal protections for LGBTQ crime victims, outreach to increase public
awareness of the extent and impact of the victimization of this
community, and increased state and federal funding for these efforts.
“Why It Matters offers a roadmap for a journey our nation must take to
address the serious gaps in services for LGBTQ victims of violence,”
said Sharon Stapel, executive director of the NYC Anti-Violence Project,
coordinator of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs. “At a
time when the severity of hate-violence against LGBTQ people is
increasing, when new federal legislation demands closer attention to
hate crimes and the gaps in services are widening as programs lose
funding, this report offers significant solutions to meet the urgent
need for better victim services for LGBTQ communities.”
To download the full report (Why It Matters: Rethinking Victim
Assistance for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Victims of
Hate Violence and Intimate Partner Violence ), visit www.ncvc.org or
David Lisak’s Presentation on Sexual Assault
Dr. David Lisak speaks about perpetrator characteristics and recent research on this population. He also discusses promising practices for the prevention of sexual assault on campus. For the presentation, click here.
CU/District Attorney Task Force for Student Athlete Welfare
The CU/District Attorney Task Force for Student Athlete Welfare recently received some very positive press. The task force is comprised of leadership from both CU Boulder and the City of Boulder and they are looking at issues that impact student athletes. For the full article, click here.
The Office of Victim Assistance sends our condolences to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) victims. Please contact our office, 303-492-8855 or the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, 303-492-3020, if you are impacted and would like support.
Fourth Annual Transforming Gender: Transgender Symposium
The Fourth Annual Transgender Symposium will take place on March 5 and 6, 2010. For a full schedule of events, go to www.colorado.edu/glbtrc. All Symposium events are free and open to the public.
The Transgender Symposium will offer an array of talks, performances, art, film, and a workshops to increase visibility and education about transgender identities and experiences, and to bring together the local transgender and ally communities.
The 2010 Transforming Gender: Transgender Symposium is being co-sponsored by CU’s GLBT Resource Center, Women’s Resource Center, the Office of Victim’s Assistance, Jewish Affairs, the Center for Multicultural Affairs and the Open Door Fund, a permanent endowment of the Community Foundation serving the LGBTQ communities of Boulder County.
For more information, contact Kevin Correa, Assistant Director, GLBT Resource Center, 303-492-7218.
“Diagnosing Difference” at Eaton Humanities 150 on Feb. 24 at 5
How does it feel to have your gender identity included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders? Diagnosing Difference is a full-length length documentary featuring interviews with 13 diverse scholars, activists, and artists who identify on the trans spectrum (transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, and gender variant) about the impact and implications of the Gender Identity Disorder (GID) on their lives and communities.
Dr. Annalise Ophelian is a San Francisco-based human sexuality consultant and trans ally who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology. She interned for two years at New Leaf: Services for Our Community, one of the nation’s leading LGBT community mental health clinics, where she specialized in working with individuals and couples on issues of gender identity, alternative sexualities, and trauma recovery.
The screening will take place at Eaton Humanities 150 on Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 5 – 7:30. Join the Filmmaker, Dr. Annalise Ophelian, for an introduction, film viewing and Q&A session.
Sponsored by: the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Resource Center, Bent Lens Cinema, Psychological Health & Psychiatry at Wardenburg, Counseling & Psychological Services, and Faculty & Staff Assistance Program
University of Alabama in Huntsville Shooting
The Office of Victim Assistance sends our condolences to the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) victims. Please contact our office, 303-492-8855 or the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, 303-492-3020, if you are impacted and would like support.
Discussion About the Gay Marriage Debate
On Monday, Jan. 25, 2010 there was a debate on Gay Marriage at Chem 140. Events like these in which people’s personal identities, experiences, and rights are debated can have negative impacts on our community. Therefore, the GLBT Resource Center and the Office of Victim Assistance is organizing a gathering to provide a space and opportunity for those who would like to debrief the debate in a group format. The gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 3:30 pm in the GLBT Resource Center, 227 WIllard. All are welcome.
