Domestic violence campaign unveiled
A recent grant from the Chicago Foundation for Women will be used to create a Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Domestic Violence Prevention Campaign for African American and Latina women.
Heartland Alliance's Women's Program together with Howard Brown Health Center, Horizons Community Services, and Metropolitan YWCA of Chicago unveiled the details of their program at a press conference Oct. 25.
In the year 2000, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs ( NCAVP ) released its fifth annual report on domestic violence in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) relationships. There were 4,048 cases of domestic violence documented in the 2000 report, which represented a 29.7% increase from the 3,120 cases reported in 1999. Of the victims in the 4,048 cases documented by NCAVP 46.8% were female, 15.1% were Latina/o and 11.1% were African American. Of the 4,048 cases, Chicago reported a total of 109 victims of whom 54% were female, 2% identified as transgender, 37% were African American and 10% were Latina/o.
The Women's Program is a program of Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, an anti-poverty, human rights organization that provides housing, healthcare and human services to more than 55,000 impoverished Chicagoans and people in crisis every year.
LCCP and Gilda's Club launch new group
Gilda's Club Chicago, in partnership with the Lesbian Community Cancer Project, has launched a new program for lesbians living with cancer. The program will be hosted at Gilda's Club's downtown clubhouse at 537 N. Wells and will be launched with a lecture by Megan Mills, Ph.D., Director of Psychosocial Oncology at Rush-Presbyterian, St. Luke's Medical Center, Friday, Nov. 16. The lecture, "Lesbians and Cancer: What You Should Know," starts at 6 p.m. and is free—but registration is required. Call ( 312 ) 464-9900. The event will be followed by an LCCP Open House.
Dr. Mills will discuss intimacy, sexuality and healthcare issues affecting lesbians. Gilda's Club is also developing a networking group for lesbians with cancer to meet monthly at the club, in addition to encouraging lesbians to make use of existing services it offers.
AIDS expert at AFC
Dr. Thomas Coates, an internationally renowned researcher and expert on HIV/AIDS prevention, will discuss his work at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's annual meeting Wed., Nov. 7, 5 p.m. The meeting is at Gleacher Center, University of Chicago, 450 N. Cityfront Plaza Dr.