Elena Montiel

she/her

Class of 2025

Major: Sociology

Mentor: Brittany Chozinski, PhD

Our Lady of the Lake University

How LGBTQ+-friendly are the IPV resources recommended by the city of

San Antonio?

After noticing the lack of information on domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community, I

wanted to turn to a local community, the city of San Antonio, and their recommended resources.

With the lack of domestic violence resources that specialize in the LGBTQ+ community, it is

important to recognize how experiences may differ whether or not a person identifies as a part of

the LGBTQ+ community. Based in San Antonio, Texas, I conducted a content analysis on the

friendliness of each website towards the LGBTQ+ community, using the websites linked to the

Metropolitan Health District Domestic Violence page on the City of San Antonio website. Using

both qualitative and quantitative methods, five themes emerged: community, safety, simplicity,

inclusiveness, and education. Given these themes, I analyzed each organization's website for its

explicit acknowledgment and consideration of a person who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+

community and their well-being. Looking at each website at the surface level, I wanted to

simulate a person in dire need who may be needing help quickly while also ensuring the safety of

their identity. Each organization had its own unique approach to supporting survivors, some

catering more to marginalized groups than others. Considering the lack of representation of the

LGBTQ+ community within these resources, it is important to acknowledge how easy it is for

them to get overlooked.

Keywords: LGBTQ+, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Same-Sex Couples,

San Antonio