Lauren DesRosiers

Hosted by New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
Sponsored by Bloomberg LP, Proskauer Rose LLP
Service location New York, New York
Law school The University of Michigan Law School
Issue area LGBTQ+ Rights
Fellowship class year 2018
Program Design Your Own Fellowship

The Project

Lauren will serve undocumented LGBTQ survivors of hate violence in New York City by improving access to holistic legal services to combat alienation from the legal system.

Incidents of hate violence against LGBTQ communities has dramatically increased over the past several years, and is coterminous with increased violence against immigrants. In particular, undocumented LGBTQ survivors of hate violence exist at a critical nexus of underserved communities and are at a high risk of estrangement from the legal systems. This distancing from institutional channels of redress further marginalizes LGBTQ immigrants, thereby exacerbating the effects of violence. Holistic legal services combined with institutional outreach are vital components of a remedy to the alienation of the legal system from undocumented LGBTQ hate violence survivors. Lauren’s project dedicates needed and new resources specifically to hate violence victims at the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, the only organization in New York that provides support and advocacy specifically for LGBTQ and HIV-affected survivors of violence.

Fellowship Plans

In the first six months, Lauren will:

Develop skills and knowledge in serving LGBTQ and HIV-affected undocumented immigrants
Conduct legal clinics for undocumented LGBTQ individuals who have experienced hate violence
Begin outreach to target communities and legal partners to promote awareness of project
Provide educational legal clinics on awareness of rights enforcement