Love Doesn’t Hurt Fundraiser, March 30
Event Supports LGBTQ Domestic Violence Victims
MEMPHIS, TN, Since its inception in 2012, the annual Love Doesn’t Hurt event has helped to raise funds, and
awareness, to support members of the LGBTQ community who are victims of domestic violence. Proceeds from
Love Doesn’t Hurt go to the Family Safety Center (FSC) to help pay for emergency shelter, transportation, food,
and gas for its LGBTQ clients.
Domestic violence is underreported in the LGBTQ community, and Phillis Lewis, creator of Love Doesn’t Hurt and
currently the LGBTQ Liaison at FSC, is trying to change that. “There are many reasons why someone in a same-sex
abusive relationship is not willing to come forward,” says Lewis. “One way to improve that is to make sure the
community feels welcome and receives the services it deserves.”
Lewis, a longtime community advocate, realized there was a disparity when in her role as a witness coordinator for
the Shelby County District Attorney’s domestic violence unit, she referred a woman who was in a same-sex
relationship to a local agency, and they focused on her sexual orientation instead of the domestic violence.
FSC Executive Director Olliette Murry-Drobot has made inclusion a priority at the Center. She says the number of
LGBTQ clients they serve continues to rise as the community becomes more aware of available services such as
emergency housing.
“We try to offer a variety of housing options since many of the shelters are not welcoming to the LGBTQ
community,” says Murry-Drobot. “For example, now that we’ve expanded the housing options, we can help a
client relocate temporarily to a hotel as opposed to a group shelter.” Murry-Drobot explains that it can be
challenging for a transgendered victim to feel welcomed in a traditional shelter and shelters that traditionally serve
women are not able to accommodate men who are fleeing an abusive relationship.
Love Doesn’t Hurt
Friday, March 30,
The Haven, 206 G.E. Patterson Ave.
Doors open at 7:30 pm, Show at 8:30 pm
$7 cover or donations of hygiene products or laundry detergent
About the Family Safety Center: Founded in 2011, the FSC co-locates domestic violence services in Memphis and
Shelby County to improve outcomes for victims. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Department, Memphis Police, the
District Attorney, and Memphis Legal Services have a fulltime presence at FSC. This innovative approach brings
together the resources necessary to help victims find safety, justice, and hope. FSC navigators work closely with
victims connecting them to appropriate services either at the Center or at partner agencies in the community.
Contact: Phillis Lewis
LGBTQ Liaison, Family Safety Center
901-222-4400 or phillis@familysafetycenter.org
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