Tears In The Dark II_LGBTQ+ Intimate Partner Violence Symposium

“Tears in the Dark II” is a one-day, community-centered hybrid symposium recognizing Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month.
About this Event

“Tears in the Dark II” is a one-day, community-centered hybrid symposium recognizing Intimate Partner Violence Awareness Month. We will create a safe, affirming, and culturally responsive space for education, healing, prevention, survivor support, abuser support, accountability, and collective action. A keynote speaker, moderated panel presentation, workshops, resource fair, and facilitated dialogue will help participants recognize abuse, support survivors, and connect with culturally competent services. This year’s symposium theme is “Hope_Care_Belonging, and Survival.”

Meet the symposium's keynote speaker:

Dr. Carla Smith is an executive leader and advocate with over 30 years of experience in social services. In 2024, she became the Chief Executive Officer of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (The Center) in New York City, making history as the first person of color to lead the organization.

Throughout her career, Dr. Smith has been deeply committed to addressing domestic violence (DV) and intimate partner violence, particularly within marginalized and LGBTQ+ populations. Before stepping into her role at The Center, she served as the Deputy CEO at the Urban Resource Institute (URI), which became the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the nation during her eight-year tenure. At URI, she managed day-to-day operations and expanded core support services, including economic empowerment programming and helped to introduce abusive partner intervention programming at the organization. Her background in survivor-focused advocacy also includes executive leadership and client-centered work with organizations such as the New York City Anti-Violence Project and My Sisters' Place.

Dr. Smith holds a Doctorate in Education focused on executive leadership, with doctoral research examining shelter access barriers for transgender-identified survivors of intimate partner violence. By centering intersectionality, trauma-informed care, and racial equity, Dr. Smith continues to champion accessible, inclusive health, safety, and empowerment resources for all individuals.

Agenda

🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Registration/Continental Breakfast/Networking/Resource Tables
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Welcome and opening remarks
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Panel Discussion: Hope_Care_Belonging_Survival
Host: Rev. Kyndra Frazier, KYND Consulting, Inc.: Moderator

Info: Hope, Care, Belonging, and Survival panel is a deeply moving and transformative conversation that centers the voices, resilience, and lived experiences of survivors. This session brings to the front of the symposium’s theme. It explores how communities can foster safety, compassion, and solidarity in the face of abuse, while dismantling stigma and amplifying the power of connection.
Through heartfelt storytelling, insight, and survivor-led dialogue, the panel will illuminate the pathways from crisis to healing — highlighting how hope can be reclaimed, care can be intentional, belonging can be nurtured, and survival can be honored as an act of courage.

It’s the first steps to creating a call to action, a space for truth, and a celebration of the enduring strength within the LGBTQ community.

🕑: 11:35 AM - 11:50 AM
Entertainment
🕑: 12:00 PM - 12:45 PM
Keynote Address
Host: Dr. Carla Smith
🕑: 12:50 PM - 01:50 PM
Lunch_Networking_Resource Fair
Panel Discussion: Recognizing Abuse - Dynamics of Power and Control

Info: This compelling panel discussion will shine a light on the often-hidden mechanisms of abuse within queer relationships. Through an exploration of the Dynamics of Power and Control, panelists will unpack how coercion, isolation, manipulation, and dependency can manifest in ways that are uniquely shaped by LGBTQ identities and experiences.
Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the Power and Control Wheel, learning to identify both overt and subtle forms of abuse — from emotional degradation to economic restriction — that erode autonomy and safety. The conversation will address how societal stigma, discrimination, and fear of outing can intensify vulnerability, making recognition and intervention even more urgent.
This session is designed to empower survivors, advocates, and allies with the tools to see beyond the surface, challenge harmful dynamics, and foster resilience within our communities. Together, we will confront the silence, name the patterns, and reclaim power.

🕑: 03:10 PM - 03:55 PM
Panel Discussion: Intervention - Safety Planning and Resources
Host: Yanery Cruz, Executive Director, NYC Council LGBTQIA+ C

Info: In moments when safety is uncertain, knowledge and connection can be life-saving. This dynamic panel will bring together advocates, survivors, and experts to explore practical, affirming, and culturally responsive strategies for safety planning within LGBTQ communities impacted by intimate partner violence.
Through real-world insights and resource sharing, panelists will address the unique barriers LGBTQ survivors face — from navigating systems that may not fully understand their identities, to building trusted networks of support. Learn about community-based and legal resources, and discover ways to strengthen resilience while centering dignity, autonomy, and empowerment.

🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:15 PM
Entertainment
🕑: 04:20 PM - 04:50 PM
Call To Action
Host: Alexis Ruiz

Info: This dynamic Call to Action panel will ignite urgency and inspire commitment to ending intimate partner violence within LGBTQ communities. Bringing together survivor voices, advocates, legal experts, and community leaders, the discussion will move beyond statistics and stories—toward tangible strategies for prevention, protection, and empowerment.
Panelists will explore the intersectional barriers LGBTQ survivors face, from systemic discrimination to gaps in culturally competent services, and highlight innovative solutions that dismantle these obstacles. Attendees will participate in creating clear, actionable steps that amplify survivor-led initiatives, advocating for policy reform.
This is not just a conversation—it’s a rallying point. Together, we will transform empathy into advocacy, and advocacy into measurable change. The time to act is now, and every voice in the room matters.