The annual LGBTI Health Summit continued Aug. 15 with workshops covering a wide variety of topics, including "LGBTI Cancer 101" and "The Future is FluidNew Tools to Negotiate Pleasure and Risk."
Another workshop that took place was "Moving Queer Communities to Take Action to Stop Violence." During this forum, advocates in Chicago and Wisconsin discussed approaches to assessing communities' readiness regarding interpersonal and relationship violence in LGBT relationships.
Gary Hollander, executive director of the LGBT group Diverse and Resilient, and Molly Herrmann, contract manager for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, presented a survey conducted in different areas of Wisconsin ( Chippewa Valley, Fox Valley, Madison and Milwaukee ) regarding intimate partner violence ( IPV ) . The study resulted from surveys taken at various Pride events, among other venues. Results included that 22 percent of respondents were hit by a boyfriend or girlfriend within the past 12 months.
For the community-readiness survey, the surveyors considered six factors: community efforts, community knowledge of efforts, leadership, community climate, community knowledge of the issue and resources related to the issue. Respondents were rated on a scale of one to nine, ranging from "no awareness" to "high level of community ownership," a level Herrmann said was "almost unattainable."
The results showed that the overall ratings for the four areas was a 3, although there was some variation. ( For example, gay men in the Fox Valley scored a 2 and lesbians in Madison rated a 4. )
Herrmann discussed strategies for different levels, with the end goal being gradual evolution toward community ownership of the issue of IPV. For example, with level 2 ( defined as "denial/resistance" ) , tactics include one-on-one visits, the discussion of descriptive local incidents related to the issue and the presentation of information to local community groups. For level 3 ( "vague awareness" ) , strategies involve the posting of flyers and billboards as well as reaching out to unrelated community groups. Lastly, for level 4 ( "pre-planning" ) , plans involved reaching out to the community even more directly, such as investing local leaders in the cause and conducting focus groups.
Regarding the findings, Hollander said the next steps involved disseminating the results; developing a program and procuring funding partners; and coming up with program plans and a logic model. He added that it is important to look at the community and see what it can do.
Ann Russo, an associate professor at DePaul University, and Michelle VanNatta, director of the criminology project at Dominican University, presented the report "Communities Engaged in Resisting Violence," a look at a growing movement in Chicago of community-based initiatives aimed an eliminating violence against women. Russo and VanNatta also talked about community engagement and accountability; limits on mainstream approaches to anti-violence work; and strategies for community engagement.
The presenters started by stating that engagement involves everyone being connected to an issue, as opposed to accountability, which is created by engaging one another instead of, for example, contacting police.
As for limitations, they included what Russo and VanNatta said is an over-reliance on the criminal legal system ( with VanNatta saying, "Only 1 percent of violators end up in the system, anyway" ) as well as a reliance on state funding. Regarding the latter item, the presenters said that not only do government dollars often come with strings attached, but that "the well is drying up."
Russo said that another limitation is an exclusive focus on individual intervention. She said that people tend to look at IPV as an issue involving a single person instead of one connected to society.
Regarding agencies, Russo said that there "is a real disconnect between [ them ] and communities themselves." The helper/help dynamic can be detrimental, Russo continued, because it does not allow people and agencies to work with each other. Also, she said that agencies sometimes have rigid rules regarding who is allowed, which can create a larger gulf between the organizations and certain members of the community.
As for strategies, Russo and VanNatta discussed several approaches that raised from distributing flyers to organizing rallies to holding community forums. Two unique approaches involved coordinating multiple actions ( which Rogers Park Young Women's Action Team did with a recent "Citywide Day of Action to End Street Harassment" ) and even using art and storytelling, which groups such as Aquamoon utilize to spread messages. The presenters even talked about healing and peace circles, which are used to process and address incidents of violence.