LGBT Detroit Hosts Event to Stand Against Sexual Assault

Same-sex sexual assault can happen on a date, between friends, partners or strangers. Survivors take on the shame, guilt and internal conflict trying to understand why someone could have used these tactics of power to control their bodies. And homophobia increases the likelihood of sexual assault, as it is used as a form of hate crime; a form of punishment and humiliation. And, often especially for lesbians and bisexual women, victims contemplate if the violence was due to anti-LGBTQ sentiment of their gender. To draw attention to these issues and more, LGBT Detroit is hosting a Talk Tuesday, on April 10th, for the LGBTQ community to gather and identify the factors that affect victims.
"Even if someone understands the tactics used to perpetrate violence in our community, even if they are well versed on the prevalence of gender based violence, understanding LGBTQ survivors of sexual violence needs a multifaceted perspective. Our stories deserve to be at the center of the sexual assault narrative, so that survivors can understand their experiences through a queer theoretical approach," said an LGBT Detroit press release. "This discussion also needs to addressing public discrimination, street harassment, gaslighting and microaggressions."
But beyond simply meeting to understanding the reasons why perpetrators commit sexual assault, LGBT Detroit is dedicated to delving into why people sometimes avoid reporting these criminal acts against them. At the Talk Tuesday, this issue will be brought up as well.
"Due to the prejudice and lack of power in LGBTQ spaces, survivors often do not seek out support or report these crimes," the press release said. "Gender variance and nonconformity puts our transgender family at much higher risks. They face sexual violence at rates of 40 to 65 percent, based on racial background. When advocating for our community and survivors of sexual violence, our analysis of their experience must intersect with the historical trauma faced by minorities, LGBTQ community and women."
The discussion will also answer questions concerning why "LGBTQ, black and brown voices missing from the narrative of the sexual assault movement" and "How do we as a community address toxic masculinity?"
The meeting will run from 6 to 8 p.m. LGBT Detroit is located at 20025 Greenfield, Detroit. More information about LGBT Detroit and its various programs can be found at lgbtdetroit.org.