It's time to sweep discussions about violence and abuse out from under the rug, said community leaders at a recent anti-violence event.
On Oct. 18, Center on Halsted's Anti-Violence Project held the Fourth Annual Candlelight Vigil: Bringing Violence Out of the Closet. The vigil was homage to those who have died due to violence, as well as a call for action to bring violence out into the open for discussion within the LGBT community.
Courtney Reid, the Center's senior director of programming, spoke of a 'lofty' vision of ending violence against LGBT individuals, stopping violence within the community, creating awareness and giving survivors and victims the power to seek help and speak up.
'It's the only way we can end violence in our community,' Reid said.
According to Anti-Violence Project Manager Laura Velazquez, the entire community is directly or indirectly impacted by violence, whether a couple is too afraid to hold hands in public, an individual is called names or even abused by a partner. 'Let's bring violence out of the closet,' she stressed.
Local Chicago police were available to remind those present ( a large majority of which were Horizons youth ) that police are there to help, and that the law protects LGBT people.
One of the main concerns of the evening was the continued silence of victims. The audience was reminded that nobody is immune to violence ( such as rape, incest, domestic violence, etc. ) , and society as a whole needs to start talking about it.
'It's important every community be willing to look at it,' said Jae Jin Pak, prevention specialist at Community Counseling Centers of Chicago. 'My challenge to you is to start talking about it. Don't keep it in the closet; don't keep it in the dark.'
Prior to the vigil, Rising Phoenix Martial Arts gave a safety demonstration, providing tips on simple techniques to protect oneself.
Also on display were T-shirts members of the Horizons Youth Project created to share their personal experiences with violence.
During the vigil, the importance of being there to support those who have the bravery, like the youth present, to speak out was stressed. 'We need to continue to be there to listen,' Valerie Newman, youth program clinician, said.
'The speaking is powerful,' e nina jay, a spoken-word artist and activist, said before sharing her own experiences with violence.
