OVW Celebrates LGBTQI+ Pride Month 2023

As President Biden said in his proclamation, Pride Month is “a celebration of generations of LGBTQI+ people, who have fought bravely to live openly and authentically. And it is a reminder that we still have generational work to do to ensure that everyone enjoys the full promise of equity, dignity, protection, and freedom.” At the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), we wholeheartedly embrace the President's vision, proudly standing as staunch allies to everyone – friends, neighbors, family members, co-workers, advocates, and survivors – who constitute the diverse and invaluable Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community.

Each June, we honor Pride Month as a time not only to celebrate the LGBTQI + community but also to reaffirm our dedication to supporting the community’s access to safety and justice. We use this occasion to express our commitment not just through words, but also through our tangible actions.

 Domestic and sexual violence aren't exclusive to heterosexual relationships; they can impact individuals across all sexual orientations and genders. We understand that due to discrimination, the scarcity of comprehensive, culturally sensitive services, and inadequate system responses, the LGBTQI+ community endures a disproportionately high incidence of violent crime. Statistics show that the violent crime rate for the gay and lesbian community is more than double the rate for victims of crime who are straight. Domestic violence rates are eight times higher for individuals who are bisexual than those who are straight. Further, the rate of violent victimization of transgender persons was two and a half times the rate of cisgender persons.  Particularly transgender women of color, are disproportionately affected by violence and harassment, the majority of violent deaths within the LGBTQI+ community are Black transgender women because they face the intersection of several forms of discrimination - transphobia, sexism, and racism.

While awareness about violence against the LGBTQI+ community has increased and there have been improvements in how such incidents are responded to, the community often faces inadequate or even retraumatizing responses from the criminal justice system and support services. This reality discourages many survivors from reporting the assault they've endured.

As we commemorate Pride Month, it's crucial to not only acknowledge the current struggles but also celebrate the significant progress being made by LGBTQI+ advocates and survivors. Now more than ever, we take great pride in collaborating with organizations dedicated to serving the LGBTQI+ community. These organizations have the necessary lived experiences to understand the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQI+ community.  Together, we're building a support system that would have been unimaginable a generation ago.

OVW is grateful for the opportunity to work with and support these organizations, which include but are not limited to the list below:

• In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, LGBT Community Center of PA uses OVW funding to partner with GLO-Harrisburg, a community resource center for LGBTQ+ young people of color ages 14-34 that supports LGBTQ+ men of color and trans women of color. The program promotes long-term safety and stability of survivors, while building the capacity of the local victim service providers to provide culturally appropriate victim services.
• OVW funding to the Milwaukee Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Community Center in Wisconsin helps to provide mental health counseling, case management, support groups, safety planning, advocacy services, and economic resources to Milwaukee area LGBTQ+ survivors of gender-based crimes.
• Survivors in Washington state can get support from the Northwest Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Survivors of Abuse, which uses OVW funding to provide advocacy-based counseling and free legal counseling. The organization also provides training on domestic violence assessment and trauma-informed domestic violence intervention and advocacy.
• Equitas Health in Columbus, Ohio, is working to assure that LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking are financially empowered so they can achieve independence and economic stability. Its project builds on an existing collaboration between Equitas Health and Jewish Family Services to provide financial education and workforce services.
• Fenway Community Health Center in Massachusetts uses OVW funding to reach rural communities and improve services for stalking victims who are LGBTQI+. The project funds staffing to provide LGBTQI+-specific advocacy and counseling services throughout the state, and provides training for other rural service providers.
• The Zebra Coalition uses OVW funding to expand outreach and victim services for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual assault in central Florida. The organization conduct outreach and community education, provides counseling and cultural competency training, and training to service providers on working with LGBTQI+ sexual assault survivors, with a focus on medical professionals, law enforcement and those working in high schools.

But there is much more work to do. OVW is increasing its efforts to provide federal funding and support to the ever-growing network of advocates and leaders working on the ground to support the LGBTQI+ community. The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022) authorized an LGBT-Specific Services Program to support organizations to maintain and replicate existing successful LGBT-specific services and develop innovative LGBT-specific strategies and projects to enhance access to services. This year, OVW will support LGBT-specific projects through the Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Program, expanding the support we have previously been able to provide for those projects. The program is designed to develop or enhance population-specific victim services, outreach strategies, and to build the capacity of population-specific organizations to serve survivors. We look forward to announcing our 2023 grant awardees later this year and working with them to provide even more support for LGBTQI+ survivors.

I'm profoundly grateful that OVW has the honor of collaborating with an array of dedicated professionals and advocates. These individuals devote their lives to providing critical, life-saving services to survivors of gender-based crimes. Yet, our gratitude extends further. As we commemorate LGBTQI+ Pride Month, we underline our steadfast commitment to survivors, pledging our wholehearted support for their pursuit of safety and justice. This commitment applies to everyone in the United States, asserting that each individual deserves safety and justice, regardless of who they love or how they identify. We see you and we stand with you. Always.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. OVW does not provide services to the general public. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, there are many services available to help. Helpful resources include the National Domestic Violence Hotline thehotline.org, the StrongHearts Native Helpline – strongheartshelpline.org, and the National Sexual Assault Hotline – www.rainn.org. On OVW’s Local Resources page, you can find your state’s domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, which can direct you to local resources and services, as well as opportunities to get involved.