Cleveland Rape Crisis Center gets $1.3 million; will turn focus on LGBTQ victims

A prominent local advocacy group in its metropolitan area, Cleveland Rape Crisis Center received an additional $1.3 million in grant money from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Based on trends in reports of sexual assault, some of the money will directly benefit LGBTQ victims.

According to the Cleveland Rape Center, it will partner with the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

This will be a first in Ohio history for such funding to be tied directly to supporting LGBTQ persons.

The two agencies will help identify possible victims of human trafficking, rape, and sexual assault in the LGBTQ community, route the victims to places that can help them recover and heal, and also push for, and introduce, training for local police and medical providers to better serve the needs of LGBTQ persons.