February Newsletter
In February, hearts and minds turn to love. But what does it mean to love?
The Center for Nonviolence was founded on the belief that love is a calling; one that extends well beyond ourselves; a calling that is rooted in a deep understanding of care, compassion, and accountability as acts of love, not only love for those closest to us but for those we have been taught to fear and reject.
In We Real Cool: Black Men & Masculinity, feminist icon bell hooks writes: “This is a culture that does not love black men.” These are hard words. But at the Center for Nonviolence, hooks’ words ring true. We take seriously her challenge, as well as Dr. King’s challenge, to create a beloved community, where the power of agape love is extended to those who have been told they do not deserve love; where love is grounded in the Afrikan principle of community care.
Our violence intervention team practices this kind of love every single day in the work they do with those who have used violence and caused harm.
In 2022, they’ll be working even harder to create space in the beloved community for participants in our violence intervention programs, including creating specialized BIP groups to serve Black men, queer communities, men of faith, and others who have been alienated from communal love and care, and developing community-based programs and initiatives to engage men and boys in anti-violence work.
bell hooks once said: “Beloved community is formed not by the eradication of difference but by its affirmation.”
If you believe that’s true, then partner with us as we endeavor to create safe and affirming space for every member of our community, including - and especially - those our society deems unworthy of love.
Indiana Service Providers for LGBTQ+ Nondiscrimination Protections
As community members and service providers committed to supporting vulnerable Hoosiers, we see the effects of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people every day through our work.
Indiana is the home of Hoosier hospitality, but right now, the estimated 272,000 Indiana residents who identify as LGBTQ+ are vulnerable to discrimination in key areas of life because of a lack of statewide protections and explicit federal law. LGBTQ+ Hoosiers still face discrimination in healthcare, housing, public spaces, and federal-funded programs and services.
Some of our cities have enacted local ordinances to help make communities more inclusive, but even when protections exist, each time an LGBTQ+ person commutes to another city for work or visits other states, their level of protection changes.
Usage and enforcement of these protections can vary widely from city to city. This creates a confusing tangle of local ordinances, state laws, court opinions, and administrative rulings that is all but impossible for the average person to navigate.
We hope that you will hear and echo our support for the Equality Act
so that all who call Indiana home can be protected from discrimination.
