Through the 90’s and early part of the 21st century, Washington State earned a reputation as leaders in the anti-sexual violence field across the nation.

According to reports and this report’s author, this reputation was built through the persistence and collaborations of Gayle Stringer M.A., LMHC, Arlene Red Elk, Lydia Guy, Emma Catague, Karen Boone, Debbie Hessler, Anne McGettigan and countless other people who during these early years were advocating for the establishment of culturally centered healing and prevention services.

Their efforts were amplified and, in some cases, institutionalized.

Several former Community Voices members commented on the role of white women in key positions within the Victims of Crime Service delivery system and the ways in which these women sought to understand, support, respect and, demonstration of allyship by using their sphere of influence to implement services ran BY and FOR culturally centered communities.

First established in 2001, the Community Voices Advisory Network was born out of the Cross-Cultural Health Care Program, a 3-year project aimed to address the area of cultural competency in Community Sexual Assault Programs in Washington State.[I]

That Spring, the Cross-Cultural Health Care Program delivered a final report to the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) and the Sexual Assault Services Advisory Committee.

The Community Voices Initiative is established and facilitated by Gayle Stringer. Other members included women representing Indigenous, Black, Asian, Pacific Islander, disability, immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQ2S+ communities.

September 2002

Community Voices Recommendations Report to the Washington State Department of Commerce, Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) and the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (WCSAP) is released. The report calls for WCSAP, OCVA, and funding recipients to adopt Guidelines for Inclusion, Diversity and Multicultural Competence as a Justice Imperative essential to ensuring that all victims/survivors of sexual violence have equal and competent services available to them and that the sexual assault services delivery system works to overcome disparate treatment based on barriers and obstacles for [historically] marginalized victims/survivors of sexual violence.

Recommendations of Community Voices Advisory group led statewide funders to set aside ten percent (10%) of all available funding for various types of Victims of Crime services and earmarked that funding to support programs provided BY and FOR historically marginalized and Native American communities.

The Community Voices report contains (in part) the following note on language:

“[M]arginalized communities’ are not who they are, but rather how these individuals and communities are treated by persons and institutions of privilege. This is their experience, not their identity. Therefore, it is understood that when the phrase “marginalized communities” is used, it refers to the result of actions taken by privileged individuals and institutions.”

Community Voices continued to meet quarterly during day-long in-person mini-conferences with a dozen or so leaders representing community based sexual assault, domestic violence and victims of crime programs serving culturally-based communities throughout Washington State. Together we analyzed how systems of oppression show up in and impact our communities in various but similar ways. We strategized.

With the help of members of the Community Voices advisory committee, Lydia Guy authored Synergies: a report on strategies for enhancing the capacity of orgs, communities, and individuals to prevent sexual violence. 

In response to a Bush era economic recession, the Washington State Governor ordered the elimination of financial support of all non-essential advisory group activities. This resulted in the disbandment of Community Voices

2021

The Washington State Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA) publishes a webinar presentation of “Revisiting Community Voices” to share with the field:

• A summary presentation the 2002 Community Voices Report;

• a 4-point apology for how OCVA Sexual Assault Services Section has implemented some and was unresponsive to other aspects of the feedback and recommendations from the Community Voices Report; and

• a statement on OCVA’s capacity and commitment to a narrower scope than the full recommendations.

The Ripple Project hosts the re-establishment of this vital, coalition building network. Meetings are monthly hosted by Rosalinda Noriega, a former member of Community Voices. Click below learn more or to sign up to join the Community Voices Advisory Network.