I Am More Than My Label

Format

Individual Presentation

Presenters

Taylor L. Teichman, National Sexual Violence Resource CenterFollow
Enid Melendez, National Sexual Violence Resource CenterFollow

First Presenter's Institution

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Second Presenter's Institution

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

Third Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fourth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Fifth Presenter's Institution

N/A

Location

Verelst

Strand #1

Safety & Violence Prevention

Strand #2

Family & Community

Relevance

The intersection of sexual violence faced by youth who identify as LGBTQ who struggle with stable housing is one that is often overlooked. When we, as a allies to youth can provide safety and services that are trauma-informed, holistic, and a community collaboration of support, we are able to support and empower our youth from an approach where we can begin to see the change within our communities to prevent further sexual violence and homelessness. As the ancient African proverb poignantly states "it takes a village to raise a child."

Brief Program Description

This workshop will offer experiential activities for youth allies to explore the foundational intersections between LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and sexual violence. Introducing a framework of concrete tools, participants will identify at least three core resiliency factors of LGBTQ youth and be able to identify at least three concrete components for fostering community-wide support for these youth.

Summary

The intersection of sexual violence faced by LGBTQ youth who struggle with stable housing is one that is often overlooked. This workshop will educate youth allies on the ways in which this combination creates vulnerability for youth and how we can provide holistic, community-supported services.

There are steps that every organization can take to foster a better future for these youth. Some of these practical steps include: involving youth throughout the decision-making process of services; addressing youth as more than a label of LGBTQ or the product of victimization—they are whole beings with resiliency that we can help build upon; providing basic needs of food, shelter, and human contact as ways of healing; managing our expectations for these youth on the desires and needs of the youth; and creating plans/steps to address this in our own communities with collaboration and capacity building efforts.

With our youth facing such a high burden of stable housing and facing acts of violence on a daily basis, it is relevant to all attendees of the conference. The intended audience is for anyone who works with youth to address their needs and of those who can influence the systems in place that fund, create policies/laws, manage, or operate such services.

Evidence

The National Alliance to End Homelessness has found that 21-42% of homeless youth who identify as LGBTQ have also experienced sexual violence. Based on various research from The National Network for Youth, National Alliance to End Homelessness, Urban Institute, and from such organizations as 40 to None we are learning that homelessness is a reality for a disproportional amount of LGBTQ youth and that there is a connection between homelessness and sexual violence.

Exploring how we [as individuals, organizations, communities] can integrate what we already know about sexual violence and implementing trauma-informed practices when working with survivors; Linking the Roads, Working With Youth Who Experience Homelessness and Sexual Violence has been a compilation of research and best practices from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) addressing trauma-informed care, factors of sexual violence from a social justice viewpoint, and housing for a framework for providing services that are both a holistic and a community approach tailored to serving LGBTQ youth.

Biographical Sketch

Taylor L. Teichman is the Online Resource Specialist for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. With over 10+ years of involvement in the movement to end sexual violence she is an advocate to end all forms of violence, and serves as an ally to LGBTQIAH communities advocating for gender equity. Prior to NSVRC, her professional background involved work as Education Advocate for a wide range of children, adolescents and adults in providing domestic and sexual violence prevention education, community activism and as a crisis counselor. Other professional experience includes over 6 years of project coordination and communications. Taylor received her Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication, with a concentration in Public Relations, from Millersville University, Pennsylvania.

Enid Melendez is the Training Specialist for the Life Span Project at the NSVRC, she previously worked as the Training Projects Coordinator for PCAR conducting trainings and provides ongoing technical assistance, and resource development for judges, law enforcement and advocates on topics such as, Human Trafficking, Diversity, Sexual Violence and the Latin@ Communities and Military Sexual Assault.

Keyword Descriptors

LGBTQ, youth, sexual violence, homelessness, resiliency, community, collaboration, intersections, trauma-informed

Presentation Year

2017

Start Date

3-7-2017 2:45 PM

End Date

3-7-2017 4:00 PM

Recommended Citation

Teichman, Taylor L. and Melendez, Enid, "I Am More Than My Label" (2017). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 63.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2017/2017/63