by Kourtney Baker, STAR Volunteer June is Pride month where we celebrate and honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, and asexual individuals. Pride occurs in the U.S. to commemorate the historic Stonewall uprising, which occurred in June of 1969. Since the uprising, we recognize the continued progress towards ensuring the dignity and equality of… Read More
Category: Supporting Survivors
Institutional Change is a Moral Imperative
Our multiracial staff works together daily to support survivors of sexual trauma from all backgrounds and to address the problem of sexual violence. Over the past few weeks, on top of microaggressions and other reminders of racism experienced on a daily basis, black members of our staff and black people across the nation are experiencing… Read More
Boys Don’t Cry: a look at violence in the trans community then and now
By: Diana Nguyen, STAR Resource Advocate Disclaimer: Since this movie is based on the true story of Brandon Teena, I am aware that the producers and screen writers have taken creative liberty and there have been changes made to the movie that did not accurately depict what happened in real life. I will be writing… Read More
Ways We May Inadvertently Perpetuate Rape Culture
By: Kristen Williams, LMSW, STAR Counselor Let’s talk about Rape Culture. When we think of culture, we think of positive aspects such as history, arts and achievements. For something to become integrated into culture, it has to become a set of normalized ideas, attitudes and practices. For this reason, it is encouraged that we… Read More
Compassion Fatigue: Keeping on and Moving Forward
By JayTee Barbour, STAR Medical Advocate, New Orleans One of the most rewarding parts of working in the human services field is the ability to assist our clients and feel rewarded in that same interaction. In this process, we are taking in and learning from every experience what it means to be human. The brain… Read More
Our Response to COVID-19
Updated March 19, 2020 @ 1:00 p.m. Released March 13, 2020 The worldwide spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has understandably raised concerns for many. We want to be as proactive as possible to protect the health of our staff, volunteers, and clients. Due to the increasing concerns with the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, we will… Read More
The Neurobiology and Impacts of PTSD
By Joanna Crifasi, STAR volunteer advocate Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychological condition that can develop from witnessing or experiencing an emotionally disturbing or distressing situation. According to the National Center for PTSD, 8 million people in the U.S. live with PTSD each year (2017). PTSD can emerge from directly experiencing an event or… Read More
A Call to Action : Student Addressing Sexual Violence on Campus
By Angelina Cantelli, STAR Intern and LSU Student It’s no secret that sexual assault is an issue at college campuses across the United States. However, I walk a college campus every day, and I rarely hear these issues being addressed. While we have taken great strides in addressing and preventing campus sexual assault in recent… Read More
STAR Releases a New Resource: Safety Planning Guide for Survivors
By Morgan Lamandre, Legal Director Sexual assault can compromise a survivor’s physical and emotional safety. In order to help survivors address their physical and emotional safety after a sexual assault, advocates typically conduct “safety plans” with survivors to reduce risk of further harm. A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that is meant to… Read More
Domestic Violence as a Queer and Trans Public Health Issue
By Alexis Canfield Each year we recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In this month, we try to bring awareness to those who have been impacted by domestic and interpersonal violence, give them a place to tell their stories, and hopefully inspire change. The National Coalition against Domestic Violence (n.d.) defines domestic violence as… Read More
