In June families celebrate Father’s Day. Many men take time to reflect on their role and performance as a father, but for some this is difficult because their role model may have been an abusive man.  When this is the case, they were led to believe through example, that men should rule their home with an iron fist.  Thus the cycle of family violence continues!

For some men attending a Batterer Intervention & Prevention Program, it is the first time their belief system concerning the role of a man in a family is challenged.  Here they learn how to interact with their children without the threat of violence, and when they begin to see this working it opens the door to new possibilities in their lives.

After doing this work for more than a decade I have come to believe that most of the men that attend our program truly love and want the best for their children but just weren’t presented or equipped with the tools to accomplish the job of good father.  Men have come a long way in our society concerning fatherhood; so let’s celebrate the success and continue to work on building on those successes!  In this issue we highlight the men that have worked in the movement to make Texas a safer place.  To those inspiring men on the list, your work adds another dimension to a truly Happy Father’s Day.

Sincerely,

Steve Fisher
Domestic Violence Prevention
BIPP Coordinator
TCFV Individual Member
Former TCFV Board Member
Texarkana, Texas

This month TCFV celebrates fathers, fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. We honor fathers and all positive male role models in our lives. TCFV celebrates the men in the movement that help create change in the lives of women, children and families. For a list of 41 men who have dedicated 10 years or more to creating safer families by working, volunteering or founding a family violence program click here. This is certainly not an all-encompassing list, if someone you know should be added, please email Maria Jose Angelelli .

Fatherhood can be a strong motivator for some abusive fathers to stop their violence. Check this website for key curriculum guidelines and tools for batterer intervention programs such as Breaking the Cycle: Fathering After Violence, audio stories and posters.

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/content/features/detail/803/

June has been declared Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride month by President Obama, who, along with many other advocates, recognizes the need for equality. The LGBT community has experienced discrimination, most recently brought to light via the media by Tyler Clementi’s suicide.

The intersection of various marginalizations intensifies an already difficult situation for domestic violence victims. Race, religion, sexuality and gender identity are important factors that create a more hostile environment for victims. The fear of being “outed” is a tool of coercive control that many batterers use. Also, victims many fear being bullied within the community or not allowed to enter a shelter if they do not adhere to the gender role that society expects.

TCFV continues to provide assistance to groups working toward a more equal society. The TCFV Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Caucus, comprised of people who support the work of the battered women’s movement, believes domestic violence is embedded in multiple systems of oppression and that it can only be eradicated by the dismantling of those systems. The purpose of the LGBT Caucus is to advocate for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans voices in the work to end violence and to advocate for the needs of people of those groups who are survivors. Download a copy of the LGBT Caucus Brochure. For great resources, or to learn more about or join the LGBT Caucus go to

http://www.tcfv.org/membership/caucuses-ally-groups-and-networks-cans/lesbian-gay-bisexual-and-trans-lgbt-caucus/

Below is a list of LGBT resources:

http://www.now.org/issues/lgbi/resources.html

http://www.lambdalegal.org/

http://www.ncdsv.org/publications_lgbti.html

http://www.vawnet.org

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Family Violence Prevention Fund is now Futures Without Violence.  Creating futures without violence has been their vision for more than thirty years. Now, it is also their name. From domestic and dating violence, to child abuse and sexual assault, Futures Without Violence works to end some of the most pressing global issues of our time. http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/section/aboutus/

Futures Without Violence will hold its 6th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence on March 29-31, 2012 in San Francisco. The conference aims to advance the health care system’s response to domestic violence.

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Programs and Partnerships to Prevent Gang-Related Youth Violence Webinar, June 28, 2011. Click here to register.

Transgender Survivors: Statistics, Stories, Strategies for Providers Webinar, June 30, 2011. Click here to register.

TCFV Criminal Justice Systems Response Training (Garland), July 13, 2011. Click here to register.

Future Directions:  Planning for FY12 Featuring Steve Zimmerman, Spectrum Nonprofit Services July 14 – 15, 2011 (Austin) Click here to register.

Men Can Stop Rape, From Theory to Practice (Washington DC), July 13-15, 2011. Click here to register.

TCFV Criminal Justice Systems Response Training (San Antonio), July 29, 2011. Click here to register.

Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence July 24 – 26, 2011 (San Francisco, CA)  Click here to register.

TCFV New Executive Director Webinar, July 28, 2011*

TCFV Criminal Justice Systems Response Training, (Pampa), August 4, 2011. Click here to register.

BIPP Educational Series (Austin), July 28-29, 2011 Click here to register

TCFV New Executive Director Webinar, August 25, 2011*

The 6th Biennial National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence, (San Francisco, March 29-30, 2012 Click here for more information

*More information to come.