First of all, I just wanted to say that on behalf of the Women’s Center of San Joaquin County, I am so honored and ecstatic to be reaching out to the LGBT community concerning domestic violence and sexual assault issues. My name is Monique, and I am a Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist for the Women’s Center. For my first blog, I just wanted to give you a little history about the Women’s Center and the services we offer.
The Women’s Center of San Joaquin County is a non-profit organization (that means all of our services are for FREE) that was first established in 1976. I do not want all of you to be fooled by the name “Women’s Center”, however, because in 1978, we saw our first male victim walk through our doors.
With that said, on to our services! The Center’s primary mission as far as our services go is to provide a wide range of supportive, educational and crisis intervention services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The services are as follows:
24-hour sexual assault and domestic violence crisis helplines: DV (209) 465-4878; SA (209) 465-4997.
Individual Peer Counseling by a certified domestic violence and sexual assault counselor in English, Spanish, South Asian and Southeast Asian languages.
Support groups for battered women, sexual assault survivors, Adults Molested as Children, developmentally disabled victims, and teen victims of sexual assault.
Our advocacy and accompaniment services include: 24-hour hospital response, accompaniment to law enforcement agencies and court hearings, temporary restraining order assistance, legal and justice system information, and information and referrals to other agencies.
Women’s Center shelters are safe havens for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. We have two shelters at undisclosed locations in Stockton and Tracy, respectively. Our shelters are for women and children only, however, we will put men in need of fleeing dangerous situations in motel/hotel rooms.
The Prevention Education program provides sexual assault prevention education and teen dating violence education to people of all ages throughout San Joaquin County. For more details or to schedule a presentation at your school, job or community organization, please contact (209) 941-2611.
I know this is a lot of information, but I just wanted to let you all know what the Women’s Center is all about and that we are here to serve you! I look forward to all of your comments and future blogging. Until next time, Queer Stockton!
Isn’t that the truth? There is much to be said for keeping your big trap shut. Some people’s problem is simply this: They talk too damn much! Learning to keep some thing private, or to yourself, is golden. Nothing wrecks plans or opportunities like gossip and a big mouth. Shut up. Be quiet. Have some patience and be slow to speak. There’s wisdome here, if you can hear it, and understand.
Last week gay marriage went down in defeat in Maine, 53% to 47%. I was expecting to feel the same heart rending loss that occurred after the passage of Proposition 8 here in California… Yet I didn’t. This was something on the order of the 33rd straight loss for gay marriage at the ballot box and I think I’ve finally become immune to the impact. There’s no longer shock or dismay when I hear gay rights have lost – merely a weary acceptance of the fact that though we as a society and a community have come so far over the past thirty years we still have far to go.
With all the constant bickering and back and forth politically over gay marriage or adoption or military service or what have you… It’s easy to forget why fighting for all this matters. Over on The Stranger Dan Savage has a post up about a 14 year-old kid named Elliot who came out two years ago and whose mother helped him make his Lady Gaga costume for Halloween this year and whose father dressed up as his bodyguard and went trick-or-treating with him. So even though we lost Proposition 8 and even though we may lose in Maine and Washington this year it’s important to remember that the kids are alright and some day all this hate and conflict will be a distant shameful memory.
(Sacramento) Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law two historic LGBT rights bills – recognizing the contributions of slain civil rights leader Harvey Milk and a bill that underscores that same-sex couples married before the passage of Proposition 8 are entitled to full recognition as married spouses in California, regardless of whether they married in California or out of state.
Both bills were sponsored by Equality California (EQCA) and were introduced by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). The bills were the top priority of EQCA, the state’s leading LGBT rights organization and were targeted by right wing anti-gay groups who worked to defeat the bills first in the legislature and then by urging the Governor to veto the measures.
I’ve always said that the one queer you don’t want to pick a fight with is a drag queen. She will embed her heel in your eye and her nails in your neck faster than you can blink. Any man that can walk around in heels, stockings and a skirt has way more cojones than you… and this headline proves it:
Thugs attack two transvestites… who turn out to be cage fighters wearing fancy dress
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