OutFront Kalamazoo Offers New Domestic Violence Resources

By Marie Weidmayer | mweidmay@mlive.com

KALAMAZOO, MI – A new partnership will help LGBTQ people experiencing domestic violence.

OutFront Kalamazoo partnered with the Van Buren County Domestic Violence Coalition to provide resources for LGBTQ individuals.

People can get help with personal protection orders, or PPOs, through the partnership. Counseling for people in a domestic violence situation is also offered, along with a support group for youth between 12 and 18 years old, the release said.

“We are incredibly excited about our new partnership with the Van Buren Domestic Violence Coalition,” OutFront Executive Director Tracy Hall said in the release. “Intentionally partnering in this way allows both organizations to reach members of the LGBTQ+ community in varying ways and allows us to provide resources and support in ways we were not able to do before.”

Rob Castner is a domestic violence coalition advocate and part of the new partnership. One thing he has heard is that the relationships of LGBTQ people going through the court system will not always be taken seriously.

“A lot of the times when it comes to the court systems, the feedback you’ll get is, ‘It’s two women or two men, so they’re just roommates,’” Castner said. “They’re not viewing it as a true relationship and they’re not taking the accusation seriously.”

As a true advocate from the community, he already has connections with people and is hopeful that more people will be willing to come forward and report issues. Castner said he believes domestic violence is under reported in same-sex and transgender relationships.

Having a support group for youth is important, because they can also experience domestic violence, Castner said. The violence can be what they witness, or it can be backlash from the child’s parents when they come out, he said.

In order to form healthy relationships later in the kids’ lives, they need to know what they’re experiencing is not OK, Castner said.

“I think it’s important … to recognize that what’s happening around us, or to us, isn’t right,” Castner said. “(It’s important to have) ways to either work through it, or at least know that you’re not alone in it, and have other people to speak to about it that are your same age range and experiencing similar situations.”

The support group for youth between 12 and 18 meets on Wednesday nights. A full calendar of events can be found on OutFront’s website. Help with PPOs will start in November, OutFront Director of Communications Grace Gheen said.

“We’re available for the community,” Gheen said. “It’s a safe space for them to enter. If there’s anything happening, whether they’re straight, whether they’re bi, whether they’re gay, however, they identify, this as a safe space for them to come in and talk to us.”

Original link: https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/10/outfront-kalamazoo-offers-new-domestic-violence-resources.html