This is Day 2 of the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Annual Statewide Meeting and was recorded on 12/8/2023 and has been edited to include two presentations:
Expanding Your Reach – For many reasons, LGBTQ communities may be tight-knit or insular. The societal and political landscape for these communities, both rural and metropolitan, has caused upheaval and many people in these communities have endured harm, stigma, bias, or discrimination—especially from providers who lacked cultural competency and understanding. This feels especially true in today’s highly charged environment. As a result, LGBTQ people—and survivors of intimate partner abuse in particular—may be justifiably fearful or mistrustful of systems available to support them. This session is intended to share the experience and strategies used by Center for Elder Law and Justice as they successfully created and implemented their LGBTQ elder law services in the Western NY region. Presented by Christopher Philips, Esq., Center for Elder Law and Justice
Opening the Shelter Doors to TGNCNB Survivors – A variety of funding mandates and anti-discrimination laws and policies promulgated over the last decade were intended to improve access to domestic violence residential and non-residential program core services for survivors from transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) communities. However, despite these advancements, service delivery to these communities remains uneven and domestic violence programs statewide still assist relatively few survivors from these populations. This session is geared to legal practitioners and will provide: a brief overview of the prevalence of intimate partner violence in TGNCNB communities, how access barriers continue to undermine their safety, legal bases for inclusive DV program practices; and the legal rights of these survivors to equal access and non-discrimination. Presented by Amy Schwartz-Wallace, Esq. and Lettie Dickerson, Esq., Empire Justice Center
