BOITALK October Newsletter

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic Violence/Intimate Partner Violence is a big problem in LGBTQ communities. Most of us know someone or have heard about someone experiencing abuse in their relationship. With that being said, why is it that this epidemic is being coined as "silent"? How do we address this? Is there a way to intervene without putting ourselves or the victim in danger? Click here for a great resource from the Los Angeles LGBT Center about intimate partner violence including support for abusers.

Victims of Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are often prey to abusive partners for various reasons. Sometimes you have no idea who you're with until it is too late and you are already in the midst of an abusive situation. Safety Planning is a great way for you to assess your current situation and plan the safest actions to leave or escape an abusive partner. Our partners at the Family Safety Center a safety planning tool we would also like to share which has proven successful to victims.

Because Domestic Violence is normally viewed as a heterosexual issue, SisterReach wants our BOITALK followers to understand that we know it touches many more lives than just a man and a woman, but can span across genders and sexuality. There are lesbians being raped by their partners, gay men being beaten by their partners, trans sisters and brothers being abused as well. The graphic below from the National Domestic Hotline makes it even plainer.

DV/IPV is a reproductive justice issue and in Memphis, where we are based, an epidemic in particularly among people of color - including youth. The abuse won't stop unless we all start talking and break this intentional silence designed to keep us trapped in bad - often deadly relationships. You Can Do This. We believe in YOU.

BOITALK SPOTLIGHT

Siphne Sylve

Siphne Sylve is a Memphis-based visual artist, singer, DJ and mural coordinator. A New Orleans native, she completed her BFA in Illustration with a minor in Art History at Memphis College of Art in 2010. She joined the UrbanArt Commission in 2010 as a Public Art Project Manager and later was appointed Director of Public Art. In 2013, she was highlighted by the Memphis Flyer as one of 20 young Memphians shaping the city’s future. In 2015, she was one of seven young professionals awarded the ArtsMemphis Community Engagement Fellowship, where she learned various ways to interact with neighborhoods through art.

Do you know someone we should spotlight for being a positive LGBT woman of color? Let us know! Email:contactus@sisterreach.org.

BOITALK HEALTH WATCH

Know Your Body!

Sexual health is important for everyone, including our youth, even if they are LGBTQ! All youth deserve education that empowers them to make healthy, informed decisions about their relationships and their bodies. Oftentimes, our LGBTQ youth get left out of discussions that have historically been hetero-normative (meant for straight people).

Young women in high school who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more likely to contract an STI and more likely to become pregnant than those who identify as heterosexual or questioning. They are also more likely to have experienced coerced sexual contact. Young women who have had both male and female partners are at the highest risk of coercion and dating violence. Our friends and the Center for American Progress share the benefits of access to comprehensive sexuality education for LGBT youth. Read The Article!

Become a Sustaining Partner

This year, SisterReach celebrates FIVE years in October of doing Reproductive Justice work in the state of Tennessee. For as little as FIVE dollars, you can become a Sustaining Partne r investing in this important work to ensure that FIVE years from now, SisterReach is able to continue serving marginalized women and girls in Tennessee.

Want to give more? Awesome! You can do that too!

Click the link to get started!

SisterReach | 901.222.4425 | 901.222.4441| www.sisterreach.org