Observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2026

With Survivors, Always: Taking Action Against Domestic Violence

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), a time to recognize the devastating impact of domestic violence and take action to end it. This year’s theme, “With Survivors, Always,” calls on us to move beyond awareness to prevent violence, expand access to support, and strengthen the systems survivors rely on to find safety.

LGBTQ+ people experience intimate partner violence at disproportionately high rates, particularly transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary (TGNCNB) people, LGBTQ+ people of color, immigrants, and those experiencing housing instability. Yet many survivors continue to encounter discrimination, or a lack of cultural understanding within traditional support systems, making it more difficult to seek help or remain engaged in services.

At The Center, being “with survivors, always,” means taking action on two fronts: supporting LGBTQ+ people experiencing or recovering from violence while working to address the conditions and systems that allow violence to persist.

How The Center Takes Action

The Center provides free, confidential, LGBTQ+-affirming survivor support across New York City. Our clients don’t need to choose between their safety and their identity. We deliver services through an integrated model that emphasizes dignity, autonomy, and continuity of care.

Many people first find us through our Survivor Assistance Hotline. When people call for help, they speak with trauma-informed intake coordinators who understand the unique dynamics of violence within LGBTQ+ relationships. Our coordinators’ first priority is to establish immediate safety and will direct people to call 911 if necessary. Then coordinators will conduct an intake and triage process to identify the services needed over the coming days and months.

Receiving help via our hotline does not require survivors to make decisions they don’t feel ready for. We provide support and resources to empower survivors as they choose their own paths.

The Center’s Survivor Assistance Hotline: 212-620-7310

Services offered at The Center include:

Guidance on preparing a safety plan to lower the risk of being hurt by an abusive partner.
Support for LGBTQ+ people who have experienced crime, violence, or other forms of harm.
Housing advocacy and assistance connecting with resources for emergency and longer-term housing needs.
Connections to legal and advocacy resources.
Help navigating health insurance and benefits resources.
Trauma-informed mental health support for adults, adolescents ages 13+, and families.

Finding community is an important part of healing and recovering from domestic violence. Abuse can make people feel isolated, disconnected, or unsure of whom they can trust. For LGBTQ+ survivors, finding spaces where they can be fully themselves and connecting with people who understand their experiences can be especially meaningful. We provide spaces and social groups where LGBTQ+ people can find connection, information, and resources, helping survivors build community and access the support they need as they move forward.

Advocating for Change

Supporting survivors also means addressing the policies and systems that shape their ability to find safety and support. The Center serves as a hub for LGBTQ+ advocacy, working to advance progressive social change through policy analysis, engagement with elected officials, and coalition building.

This work is especially important for LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, who may face additional barriers to accessing safety and support. Through advocacy and collaboration, The Center works to ensure LGBTQ+ voices are heard and that the policies, funding, and services affecting our communities reflect their needs.

How You Can Take Action

Everyone has a role to play in creating safer communities. Here are some ways anyone can help support survivors and work toward ending domestic violence:

Know the signs. Domestic violence can include physical harm, emotional abuse, financial control, stalking, isolation, technology-facilitated abuse, and coercive control. LGBTQ+ people may also experience threats to out them, interference with gender-affirming care or medication, or attempts to isolate them from the LGBTQ+ community.
Support Someone Who May Be Experiencing Abuse. If someone tells you they are experiencing abuse, listen without judgment, believe them, and respect their decisions. Instead of pressuring someone to leave, ask what support they need and connect them with resources.
Learn Where to Turn for Help. Knowing where LGBTQ+ survivors can find confidential, affirming support can make it easier for someone to seek help when they are ready.
Help Build a Culture of Safety. Support organizations serving survivors, stay informed about policies affecting access to safety and services, vote for candidates committed to LGBTQ+ protections, and advocate for the resources LGBTQ+ communities need.

With Survivors, Always

Awareness matters. But ending domestic violence requires action to prevent violence, to make support accessible and affirming, and to ensure survivors have the protection and resources they need to be safe and heal.

This DVAM, The Center remains with survivors, always, and is committed to the work of building a world where everyone can live free from violence.

Learn more about The Center’s services for domestic violence survivors: gaycenter.org/safe