Justice Works: Framework for Enhanced Responses to Bias-Motivated Violence Based on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, or Gender Expression

J.T. Long, C.L. Kelly

The Framework provides practical, operational guidance for enhanced, cross-sector responses by LGBTI civil society organizations, psychosocial support service providers, and justice sector actors to bias-motivated violence. The Framework explores the events that take place after a violent incident occurs. This occurrence is the point when a person experiences violence based on SOGIE, triggering the need for as comprehensive a response as possible from CSOs, psychosocial support service providers, and justice sector actors, including police officers, prosecutors, judges, and lawyers. The Framework is organized by stages of the life cycle of the response to bias-motivated violence: immediate, intermediate, and long-term responses. It describes what constitutes an enhanced response during each phase of the life cycle, identifying the stakeholder groups that are chiefly responsible and articulating how collaboration with other groups helps ensure a survivor-centric approach in the pursuit of justice for bias-motivated violence based on SOGIE and in the prosecution of perpetrators, when applicable. It identifies concrete action points and roles for each group during each phase of response, reflecting their specific technical or substantive expertise in violence response or in working with the LGBTI community and provides case studies of approaches that have been implemented in jurisdictions throughout the world.