Out and proudly serving you.
    Welcome to the Chicago Police Department’s LGBTQ+ Liaison program information page. Here you’ll be able to find out what our program is all about, check out some of our best community resources, get to know our dedicated Liaisons, learn how to reach us and more!

What We Do

As LGBTQ+ Liaisons, we strive to thoroughly enhance CPD’s relationship with the LGBTQ+ Community. We do this by ensuring that members of all marginalized communities receive the best combination of police services. We deliver those services in an understanding and compassionate manner.

Our services include:

Victim Advocacy
  • We assist victims in navigating through the aftermath of crime.
  • We tailor a variety of police and community-based resources to fit the specific needs of those seeking help.
Empathetic Point of Contact.
  • We serve as an empathetic, patient, and compassionate point of contact for those who need police and/or social services.
  • We stay up to date and well-informed on LGBTQ+ culture and community concerns in order to serve with the highest level of cultural competency.
Court Advocacy.
  • We will offer to act as a Court Advocate and provide information and resources for anyone who wishes to press charges on an offender and/or seek an order of protection.
  • We will accompany crime victims to court and offer our support through the entire process.
  • We will send a powerful message to the court that our community will not tolerate hate, violence or crime.
Partnership.
  • We collaborate with community organizations and social service providers to:
    • Identify key community concerns.
    • Create lasting resolutions to identified concerns.
    • Encourage and facilitate productive community dialogues.
    • Host, facilitate and participate in events that celebrate, honor, uplift, and benefit the LGBTQ+ community.
Visibility and Representation.
  • We strongly advocate for the LGBTQ+ community’s needs directly to the necessary channels inside of the Chicago Police Department –and get substantial answers to those needs.
  • We also work to greatly improve visibility, representation and support for LGBTQ+ members within the Chicago Police Department. It starts at home!
    • We endeavor to accomplish this through social events, creating supportive networks, conducting meetings and improving departmental training on LGBTQ+ culture and community issues.
LGBTQ+ Liaison Program Brochure Back to Top

Meet Our LGBTQ+ Liaisons

Zaida Sanabia

Pronouns: she/her Serving CPD Since: 2016 Communities Served: 3rd District (Grand Crossing), Special Activities Unit (LGBTQ+ Liaison) Work Experience: Patrol, School Resource Officer, LGBTQ+ Liaison Vignette: Lesbian. Latina. Bilingual (Spanish/English). Go-getter. Passionate about increasing LGBTQ+ visibility, representation and support within the Chicago Police Department. E-Mail: [email protected]

Calla Roulds

Pronouns: she/her Serving CPD Since: 2016 Communities Served: 3rd District (Grand Crossing), 5th District (Roseland), Special Activities Unit (LGBTQ+ Liaison) Work Experience: Patrol, 5th District Mission Team, 3rd District Tact Team, LGBTQ+ Liaison Vignette: Lesbian. Black. Indigenous. Undercover Chef/Baker. Builder of partnerships for collaboration in hosting LGBTQ+ events, workshops, and dialogues. E-Mail: [email protected] Back to Top

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Why is there a need for LGBTQ+ Liaisons?
(Accurate Reporting. Saving Lives. Being Proactive. Building Credibility. Improving Communication. Making a Difference.)
LGBTQ+ individuals are less likely to call the police for help when facing many of the same problems with drugs, crime and violence that heterosexual, cisgender people face.
  • This is especially true when LGBTQ+ people experience domestic violence.
  • Violent crimes and incidents of hate or bias against LGBTQ+ people are extremely underreported.
Reluctance to seek police for help can stem from different reasons. Reasons such as:
  • A chronic fear and distrust of police stemming from historical wrongs committed by law enforcement upon the LGBTQ+ community.
  • Cultural incompetency and discrimination exhibited by some police officers which can result in LGBTQ+ people being disrespected, humiliated, misgendered, stereotyped, dehumanized and further harmed.
  • Concerns about being “outed” when reporting incidents to the police, especially if LGBTQ+ victims have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity to their family or employer.
  • Fear of being targeted by their attackers again if they choose to have them prosecuted.
  • People from other countries in which LGBTQ+ individuals are severely persecuted may have a deep fear of police.
The consequences of not reporting crime can significantly impact the LGBTQ+ community.
    • Not reporting crime can embolden criminals, escalate criminal behavior and lead to further victimization of LGBTQ+ victims.
    • The more frequently a person is subjected to bias-motivated criminal behavior, the less likely they are to ever report the behavior or get help.
    • How safe LGBTQ+ people feel in their community directly correlates to how visible they are in their community.
Appointing LGBTQ+ Liaison Officers is one of the most effective ways for a law enforcement agency to connect with the LGBTQ+ Community, build credibility and break through barriers of distrust.
    • LGBTQ+ Liaison programs send the message that there is somebody that Queer people can safely/comfortably go to for help, police services and to report crime.
    • Reporting crime helps police to be well informed on crime patterns, develop proactive patrols and enhance crime prevention measures… all of which can save lives.
    • Liaisons work to focus on and improve CPD’s communication and relationship with the LGBTQ+ community.
      • These improvements help CPD become more educated on community concerns and needs and how to best resolve them in partnership with the LGBTQ+ community!
Why are pronouns important?
Using someone’s pronouns correctly shows them respect, makes them feel valued and creates an inclusive environment. Sharing your own pronouns in various spaces (like the workplace, online, and in everyday life introductions) can help bring awareness to the power and significance pronouns have to each person. Sharing your pronouns can also bring awareness to the fact that pronouns and gender identities cannot be assumed based on a person’s gender expression, anatomy, name or appearance. The best way to ask someone about their pronouns is to simply introduce yourself and your pronouns first. For example, “Hi! My name is Phoebe and I use she/her pronouns. How should I refer to you?” The terms “preferred pronouns” and “preferred gender pronouns” are outdated and problematic. Saying “preferred” makes using someone’s pronouns is optional, however, using someone’s correct pronouns is necessary to make them feel safe and secure in the social environment. Please be aware that there are reasons why some people may not want to share their pronouns. Some people do not feel comfortable sharing their pronouns at that moment or in that space. For some people, sharing their pronouns may “out” them and they may feel compelled to lie about their pronouns. Some people are struggling to find which pronouns work best for them. For some people, having to declare your pronouns can feel dysphoric. It is important to never prompt people to share their pronouns if they do not do so.
What is a Hate Crime?
A person commits a hate crime when
    BY REASON OF
(because of) the actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or national origin of an individual or group of individuals, regardless of the existence of any other motivating factor or factors, he or she COMMITS: assault, battery, aggravated assault, intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, misdemeanor theft, criminal trespass to residence, misdemeanor criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to vehicle, criminal trespass to real property, mob action, disorderly conduct, transmission of obscene messages, harassment by telephone, and harassment through electronic communications.
(Illinois Compiled Statutes 720/ILCS 5/12-7.1)
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Resources

Megan’s Guide to LGBTQ+ Resources throughout the City! LGBTQ+ Resource Guide Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Act The goal of the Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Program is to help reduce the financial burden that victims of violent crime (and their families) face. Eligible victims (and their families) may be provided with up to $27,000 in financial assistance for expenses accrued as a result of a violent crime. Illinois Crime Victim Compensation Act Back to Top

CPD Policy

General Order G02-01-03: Interactions with Transgender, Intersex, and Gender Nonconforming (TIGN) Individuals G02-01-03 General Order G02-04: Prohibition Regarding Racial Profiling and Other Bias Based Policing G02-04 General Order G04-06: Hate Crimes and Related Incidents Motivated by Bias or Hate G04-06 Special Order S02-03: The Community Policing Office S02-03 Back to Top

LGBTQ+ Dictionary

-A-

AFAB: Acronym for “Assigned Female at Birth.” Agender: A person whose identity and sense of self has minimal to no connection with gender. Agender people can be gender neutral, genderless, or libragender (mostly agender, but has some connection to another gender). Allosexual: A person who experiences sexual attraction of any kind or orientation at any intensity or frequency. Heterosexuality, Bisexuality, Homosexuality, and Pansexuality all fall under the umbrella term of Allosexuality. Ally: Someone from one identity group who actively supports an individual or individuals that belong to a different group/community. Straight, cisgender people (people whose gender and sense of personal identity corresponds with their sex assigned at birth) can be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community by actively supporting the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and equality. Allyship can also be fostered within the LGBTQ+ community (e.g., a lesbian can be an ally to a pansexual individual, a gay male can be an ally to the bisexual community). AMAB: Acronym for “Assigned Male at Birth.” Androgynous: 1) A term used to describe an individual whose outward gender expression reflects both masculine and feminine traits. 2) A term used to describe an individual whose outward gender expression cannot be distinguished as neither masculine nor feminine. Aromantic: Experiencing very little (if ever) to no romantic attraction to other people. Often shortened to the term, “aro.” Asexual: Experiencing little (if ever) to no sexual attraction towards others, regardless of gender. Asexuality differs from celibacy. People who practice celibacy make a choice to refrain from sex and this choice is not reflective of their sexual attraction. Some asexual people may choose to engage in sexual behaviors for various reasons, although they may not experience any sexual attraction themselves. Often shortened to the term, “ace.”

-B-

Biphobia: Aversion, prejudice, fear, or hatred of bisexual people. People of any sexual orientation can exhibit biphobia. Some examples of biphobia include:
  • The belief that bisexual people are confused or indecisive about their sexuality.
  • The assumption that bisexual people are just in denial about being gay or lesbian.
  • The stereotype that bisexual people are promiscuous.
  • The fear of dating bisexual people because you believe they will eventually leave you for someone of another sex.
  • The belief that bisexual people spread HIV and sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
Binary: “The Gender Binary” is the concept that gender falls into two distinct and opposing categories: male or female. Bisexual: Experiencing emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same gender and another gender. Bisexual Erasure: Also known as bisexual invisibility, bisexual erasure is the act of dismissing, ignoring or invalidating bisexuality as a legitimate sexual orientation. This usually occurs through assuming that bisexuality is merely a transitional phase that gay and lesbian people go through before coming out, assuming that bisexuals are just straight people that want attention, or assuming that bisexual people are just confused about their sexuality.

-C-

Cisgender: Denotes a person whose gender identity corresponds to those typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Closeted: Refers to any queer person who conceals, hides or does not publicly disclose their sexual orientation. Coming out: “Coming out” is the process in which an LGBTQ+ person shares their sexual orientation/identity openly with other people. Cross Dresser: A person who dresses in clothing that is typically not associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Cross Dressers generally do not completely identify or live as the gender that they reflect in fashion/outer wear.

-D-

Dead Name: A name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning. To dead name someone is to refer to someone by a name they no longer use. Demiboy: A term used for a gender identity in which a person feels partially or mostly male and partially another gender, usually non-binary. A demiboy may use he/him/they/them or other gender neutral pronouns. Demigirl: A term used for a gender identity in which a person feels partially or mostly female and partially another gender, usually non-binary. A demigirl may use she/her/they/them or other gender neutral pronouns. Demisexual: A term used to describe a person who does not experience sexual attraction to a person unless they first have an emotional bond with that person. Drag: The practice of dressing, acting and performing as another gender in an exaggerative and highly stylized fashion for the purpose of entertainment. Drag King: A term typically used to describe a woman who dresses as a man for the purpose of entertainment or performance, (usually at a night club, bar or event). A Drag King’s clothing, makeup and acting is usually very exaggerative of male gender signifiers. Drag Queen: A term typically used to describe a man who dresses as a woman for the purpose of entertainment or performance (usually at a night club, bar or event). A Drag Queen’s clothing, makeup and acting is usually very exaggerative of female gender signifiers.

-F-

FTM: Acronym for “Female to Male.” A term used to reference a person who was assigned female at birth but now lives as a man and has a masculine gender identity.

-G-

Gay: A term used to describe people who are emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to members of the same gender (homosexual). Gay Panic: A legal defense strategy in which a heterosexual defendant claims an unwanted sexual advance from a homosexual person caused them to experience a temporary loss of control, during which time the heterosexual defendant committed a violent crime against the homosexual victim. Gender: A range of socially constructed roles, behaviors, attributes and characteristics pertaining to and differentiating masculinity and femininity. Gender Affirming Care: A range of medical, surgical and mental health care and treatments that support and affirm an individual’s gender-identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth. Gender Confirmation Surgery: (formerly called sex reassignment surgery) Surgical procedure(s) by which a transgender or nonbinary person’s physical appearance and functional abilities are altered to help them transition to their self-identified gender. Gender Dysphoria: Clinically significant distress experienced by a person whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender Expression: The way a person expresses their gender identity, typically through outward appearance, clothing, haircut, behavior, mannerisms, pronouns and name. Gender Fluid: Denotes a person who does not identify themselves as having a fixed gender and whose sense of gender identity may shift from masculine to feminine or nonbinary over time. Gender Identity: A person’s inherent sense and personal conception of being male, female, both or neither. Gender Non-Conforming: Denotes a person whose behavior and appearance does not conform to societal norms and expectations associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Genderqueer: A term used to describe people whose gender identity cannot be characterized as either distinctly male or female. Many times, a Genderqueer person’s gender identity falls somewhere between male and female, or completely outside of the gender binary altogether. Gender Role: Societal norms and expectations of a person’s behavior, appearance and characteristics based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Graysexual: Experiencing a reduced or slight sexual attraction to other people on an infrequent basis or only in very limited, specific circumstances. When graysexual people do experience sexual attraction, it is often not strong enough for them to want to act upon it. Everyone’s experience of graysexuality differs as it can be fluid anywhere between asexuality and allosexuality. Graysexual people often do not prioritize sexual attraction when selecting a romantic partner and find sex to be unimportant in romantic relationships and may choose to express affection in other ways such as cuddling

-H-

Heteronormative: Denotes the assumption that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality and that it is imperative for people to adhere to the traditional, binary gender roles that are typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Heterosexual: Experiencing sexual attraction solely to members of a different gender. Homophobia: Aversion, prejudice, fear, or hatred of homosexual people. Homosexual: Refers to a person who experiences emotional, romantic and sexual attraction towards members of the same gender.

-I-

Intersectionality: All individuals, communities or groups can be categorized into various social categories distinguished by features such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, body size, etc. Each social category comes with its own unique experiences of oppression, disadvantage, privilege or power within a given society. The overlap of the social categories that a person has membership with gives a person a more complex and articulate identity and can affect the way a person specifically experiences oppression and power dynamics. Intersectionality is a concept that recognizes that everyone experiences oppression differently due to their overlapping memberships to various social categories and also recognizes that all systems of oppression are linked and interdependent. Systems of oppression are linked and interdependent because they are all created to reinforce and sustain deep imbalances in power to benefit those in power. Intersex: An intersex person is born with any of several conditions in which their genetics, chromosomal makeup, hormone production, or reproductive/sexual anatomy do not fit the “norm” for male or female bodies. These conditions can occur in varying degrees. Some Intersex people may have ambiguous or non-binary genitalia, some Intersex people may not discover they are Intersex until they go through puberty. Some Intersex people discover they are Intersex when they have issues with fertility and some Intersex people can live their entire life without discovering that they are Intersex.

-L-

Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically and sexually attracted to other women. LGBTQ+: Acronym for “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Plus.” Libragender: A gender identity in which a person feels mostly agender, but has some personal connection with another gender (whether it be masculinity, femininity, a nonbinary gender, pangender, or gender fluidity).

-M-

Marginalized Communities: Communities that experience social, cultural, economic, and political exclusion from mainstream society and those in power. This exclusion deprives marginalized community members fair access to key resources and services (such as health care, education, employment, housing, justice) and creates barriers to living to their full potential. Misgender: The act of referring to, relating to or addressing someone using language that does not align with their gender identity. MTF: Acronym for “Male to Female.” A term used to reference a person who was assigned male at birth but now lives as a woman and has a feminine gender identity.

-N-

Neopronouns: A category of new (neo), singular, third-person pronouns created to serve in place of commonly recognized pronouns (she, he, they) and tend to be gender neutral or indicate a transgender or nonbinary person. Neopronouns disrupt the societal norm to make assumptions about other people’s gender identities based on gender expression, sexual orientation and the gender binary. Nonbinary: An umbrella term used to describe gender identities that fall outside of the strict binary of what is solely male or female.

-O-

Outing: The act of disclosing or revealing someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent.

-P-

Pangender: A gender identity which may encompass all genders at once or a gender identity in which a person may be fluid throughout numerous different genders over time. Pansexual: A person who experiences emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to all kinds of people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. Pronouns: Words that can take the place of a noun in a sentence. (Example: “Phoebe enjoys video games. She loves playing Zelda.” (The pronoun “she” replaces the noun, “Phoebe.”))

-Q-

QTBIPOC: Acronym for “Queer, Transgender, Black, Indigenous People of Color.” Queer: An umbrella term used to describe people whose sexual orientation is not heterosexual or whose gender identity is not cisgender.

-R-

Romantic Orientation: Describes the pattern of a person’s romantic (deep emotional attraction and affection) towards another person based on the other person’s sex or gender. A person’s romantic orientation usually aligns with their sexual orientation, but it can be independent of their sexual orientation. For example, a pansexual person may experience sexual attraction towards people of all genders but may only experience romantic feelings and emotional intimacy with women.

-S-

Sex: A category of maleness or femaleness assigned to a person at birth, usually based on primary sex characteristics (genitalia). Sex Assigned at Birth: The sex (male or female) assigned to a person at birth, usually based on primary sex characteristics (genitalia). Sexual Orientation: Describes the pattern of a person’s emotional, romantic and sexual attraction towards another person based on the other person’s sex or gender. Straight: A colloquial term used to describe heterosexual people.

-T-

Transgender: An umbrella term used to describe a person whose gender identity does not conform to what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transphobia: Aversion, prejudice, fear, or hatred of transgender people. Transsexual: A largely outdated term used to describe transgender and gender nonconforming people, particularly those who had medical procedures to align their physical appearance with their gender identity. Can be considered very offensive, however some people still do identify as transsexual. Only refer to someone as transsexual if they inform you that this is how they identify. Transvestite: An outdated term used to describe a person (usually male) who cross dresses, or dresses in clothing that is not typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. The term transvestite is now widely considered derogatory. Two Spirit: A modern term used by some Indigenous North American communities to describe a person who embodies both masculine and feminine qualities, or a status of being that does not exist within the gender binary. The social and spiritual role that two spirit people hold can vary between nations and often cannot be defined in the scope of Western Culture.

-Z-

Ze/Zir: gender neutral neopronouns that can be used by anyone regardless of their gender identity or gender expression. Ze/Zir pronouns are sometimes used by transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming people to make them feel more comfortable. Back to Top

Contact Us

Office: (312) 745-5823 E-Mail: [email protected] Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpd.lgbtq Back to Top