Persad plans to address lesbian domestic violence by Jane Muder ‘Dusk is descending on the small businesses and burned out storefronts in Garfield, and the Persad Center on Penn Avenue is providing respite from the biting eold—and other unplessant- nese—this winter evening. ‘An elderly woman clutching a cane sits in the waiting room, shifting and tapping her foot, as a younger woman carrying flant bac signs in and rushes through the waiting room doors The area is amall but cozy, and pamphlets about abuse, domestic violence, counseling resources and other topics line the pocketed Plexiglas shelves on the walls Persad, a gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender-focused counseling center in Pittsburgh's East End, provides a safe ha- ven for victims of same-sex domestic abuse and violence. The center offers a variety of services; depending upon the situation, victims might seek out crisis intervention, ‘individual or couples counseling or even legal advice. Continued on page 13 Domestic violence— Continued from page 4 ‘A number of Persad’s clients are lesbians who are scoking reassurance as they navigate the stormy waters of physically, emotionally or financially abu- sive relationships. ‘Targeting community awareness and preventa. tive education as its goals, Persad is aiming aver the next few years to launch ‘an ambitious program for this subset of the GLI community: the End Les- bian Domestic Abuse project, ‘This project, known as ELDA, began as a court- referred rehabilitation effort for perpetrators of same-sex violence. It is slowly being shaped by work- ers and volunteers into a community-wide outreach Brogram that helps to educate the public ond gt care for victims Debbie Szajna, an ELDA health educator, that trying to broals the cycle of abuse far victims is a major goal. Greater publicity for the domestic vi ence counseling services that are offered in the Pittsburgh area is another. ‘Over the next two years, Szajna wants to expand the program to Westmoreland, Washington, Greene, Armstrong and Indiana counties. She believes that as awareness of the irsue grows in the Pittsburgh re ffion, more women will seek out services. Lehin ELDA projec is tala to education in the region,” Szajna says ‘Ona typical day, Szajna goes to the Allogheny County Courthouse to recruit both vietims and per- petratora for Persed-funded counseling sessions, For the latter, the counseling:-as-reh ate tractive alternative to jail time. or the former, it can be a lifeline to resources, options and solutions ‘Visibility is a problem because abuse and vio- ence among lesbian couples are s0 often overlooked and services targeted appropriately to the lesbian community's needs are fewer than they are for het- erosexul abuse victims, Sometimes women’s shelters will unknowingly lot the abusive partner in to sco the vietim, based on the assumption that women are not eapable of being perpetrators, Szajna works hard to educate crisis Slinies, shelter directors and personnel about recog: nizing! and treating, abuse outside of “hetero. normative constructs.” The Blackburn Center in Greensburg boasts staff that has been specially trained to deal with is- sules unique to same-sex domestic abuse cases. Ann ‘Emmerling, the center's executive director, empha- sizes that much of that re-education process was fo- cused on the notion that the abuser is not always a mat , “We're talking about this society... about living in a patriarchy that’s supporting the oppression of women through violence,” Emmerling says. “How: ever, [in lesbian relationships), the power and con- tral dynamic looks very much the same." Botty Hill, execuiive director of Persad, is con- cerned Ey the paueity of discussion about GLBT