Rainbow Response - I talk about it a lot!
Thursday I spoke at a meet and greet event about the Rainbow Response Coalition and the work we are doing around LGBTQ intimate partner violence in the DC Metro area. It was a wonderful event co-sponsored by Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS). CASS is a wonderful new organization working on issues around street harassment and sexual assault in DC. Change.org was kind enough to host the event at their offices in Chinatown and might I add what a nice office space it is!
Events like the one at Change.org always give me the inspiration needed to continue the ongoing push for social change. So, with that I think it is only fitting that my second blog post be about my work with the Rainbow Response Coalition. If you are a good friend of mine and live in DC - I am quite confident that you have heard about Rainbow Response ad nauseum. And if you haven't yet heard about Rainbow Response, get comfy - pull up that blanket and sip that hot coco - because the fun is about to start!
I currently serve on the Board of Directors and as the Research Committee Chair for Rainbow Response. The Coalition is an all volunteer grassroots advocacy organization that is committed to educating communities and breaking the silence around LGBTQ intimate partner violence. To learn more about partner violence - click here. Rainbow Response engages in four key areas to help advance efforts to ensure that ALL survivors of partner violence have access to services and resources: 1) education and community outreach, 2) advocacy, 3) technical assistance and training, and 4) research.
Events like the one at Change.org always give me the inspiration needed to continue the ongoing push for social change. So, with that I think it is only fitting that my second blog post be about my work with the Rainbow Response Coalition. If you are a good friend of mine and live in DC - I am quite confident that you have heard about Rainbow Response ad nauseum. And if you haven't yet heard about Rainbow Response, get comfy - pull up that blanket and sip that hot coco - because the fun is about to start!
I currently serve on the Board of Directors and as the Research Committee Chair for Rainbow Response. The Coalition is an all volunteer grassroots advocacy organization that is committed to educating communities and breaking the silence around LGBTQ intimate partner violence. To learn more about partner violence - click here. Rainbow Response engages in four key areas to help advance efforts to ensure that ALL survivors of partner violence have access to services and resources: 1) education and community outreach, 2) advocacy, 3) technical assistance and training, and 4) research.
Currently Rainbow Response is part of a coalition of four organizations that trains the Metropolitan Police Department's Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit affiliate officers on cultural competency in dealing with a variety of issues in the LGBTQ community. In addition to training, we table at community events, organize town halls, guest lecture at universities and at the moment I am overseeing a self-reported survey in the DC area. (Don't worry there will be more about the survey in a later post - I can't use all my blog ideas off the bat!!)
All in all, this is great work and I am privileged to have the opportunity to be a leader at Rainbow Response and share the experience with some truly amazing people! The board and volunteers of this organization work tirelessly on all of the efforts I mentioned above and more and truly are heroes and champions of change!
If you wanna know more about Rainbow Response - just ask me I can talk about it for hours!