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LGBTQ

Survivors who identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) experience severe forms of discrimination when seeking help for domestic violence and sexual assault. Court systems often fail to take into account the unique vulnerabilities presented by LGBTQ cases, leaving room for batterers to continue methods of control and coercion even during criminal prosecution or with civil protection orders in place. In this area of the website, judges can find resources and information on how to address LGBTQ domestic violence and sexual assault in individual cases and at the system level.

Links

  • Opens in new windowFORGE

    Forge was first founded in 1994 to provide assistance to transgender individuals in Wisconsin, and later grew to provide national technical assistance and guidance on domestic violence and sexual assault, with a focus on transgender individuals. It provides a wealth of information on the unique response necessary to assist trans survivors.

  • Opens in new windowNCJFCJ and National Juvenile Defender Center Address LGBTQ Youth and Adolescent Development

    LGBTQ-GNC youth are disproportionality represented in the juvenile justice system. LGBTQ-GNC youth represent five to seven percent of the nation’s youth population, but 20 percent of those are in juvenile detention facilities. 85 percent are youth of color, and 40 percent of girls in detention facilities identify as LGB-GNC.

  • Opens in new windowNorthwest Network

    The Northwest Network was founded in 1987 in Washington state by LGBTQ survivors. It is now a nationally recognized organization that provides guidance and technical assistance to courts and professionals around the country on intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ community.

  • Opens in new windowVideo: Enhancing Responses

    Video from the Break From the Bench Series

    The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) invites you to the NCJFCJ’s Break from the Bench: A Lunch and Learn Series. Please join us for a 45-minute panel discussion on a wide range of topics focused on what a judge needs to know about domestic violence and the LGBTQI community. Our expert faculty will provide information for judges and courts on strategies for improving responses to intimate partner violence within the context of the LGBTQI community.