Staff Spotlight
Jazz Callister-Francis
Jazz works as an Advocate and Case Manager at the Domestic Abuse Project. They are warm hearted, kind, and extremely dedicated to the work. We are so grateful to have Jazz on our team! Read on to learn about the important work that Jazz does at DAP.
DAP: What is your name and what is your role at DAP?
Jazz: My name is Jazz Callister-Francis, I use they/them pronouns in all spaces, and I’m an Advocacy Case Manager here at DAP.
DAP: What do you do as an advocate? Why is this work important for victim survivors of domestic violence?
Jazz: I meet with people, usually victims, and we assist in all sorts of things: I help with writing an order of protection (OFP) or a harassment restraining order (HRO), I work with clients to break their leases if they need to get out of where they are currently living, and I also use Coordinated Entry System (CES), which is a referral system for people who are specifically fleeing domestic violence. Otherwise, we are full of resources, so people come to us asking for help with certain things like financial support, clothing, hygiene products, etc., and we can help with that!
[This work] is important because a lot of the time, these resources aren’t as easily accessible to the people we work with, so to be here and offer that information to victims—especially for free—is incredibly important.
DAP: We hear a lot about how domestic violence plays out in heterosexual relationships, but can you tell us what you know about how DV plays out in queer relationships too?
Jazz: Domestic violence can happen to anyone, from anyone, by anyone, and I think that’s something that is not often realized when people think of DV. When someone says DV, it’s usually a heterosexual couple portrayed…[and] especially in the queer community, we might present happier than we are because we’ve had to fight for all the things that we have now, such as the right to get married. But basic human rights don’t just end there. When it comes to DV, specifically trans women of color get the most of it; it’s the number one community in the queer community that is targeted. [There’s] a bias that people need to unlearn…domestic violence can happen between anyone. Women can be perpetrators and even trans or nonbinary people.
DAP: We know that statistically there is a high number of domestic violence cases within the queer community. Still, resources are underutilized. Why do you think that is?
Jazz: I think safety is a big component. [Being] trauma-informed and educated is important for something to be truly safe for a queer person. I feel like a lot of resources currently aren’t as informed when it comes to the needs of the queer community, [and] it’s definitely a barrier. The resources that we might find are there but aren’t competent enough to interact with queer people. In particular, trans housing is a big struggle--trans victims fleeing DV [struggle] finding somewhere to live and feel safe in. [It’s a] lack of education and representation.
DAP: What’s one reason that you like working at DAP?
Jazz: I don’t have just one reason. I really enjoy working with the team! All my coworkers here have been really supportive and welcoming, especially as a nonbinary person. Joining DAP and being out as my 100% authentic self helps me do the best work I can. There’s no other way for me to want to be, I guess. What you see is what you get. It’s also just remembering that you’re human and that it doesn’t have to be 100% serious all the time even though the work we do is heavy. You’ve got to be able to have a moment where you can just breathe [and] clown. A little smile or a giggle and I’ll be like, “cool, I feel good,” and your day might not be better, but I at least helped make it easier. And that’s a goal with the people I work with!
DAP: What’s something that you learned from the clients that you served?
Jazz: A lot of things. I’ve learned how I can help people when they come with different situations…so being adaptable…but I feel like I’ve always been adaptable. I’ve learned from what the clients tell me--what resources they’ve been to that have been unsafe [and] what they’ve tried that hasn’t worked out for them. [It’s] great to know, especially as a queer advocate.
I have a client who is a Black trans woman fleeing DV. She’s been hotel hopping, [and] we did Coordinated Entry Services (CES) for her, but I worry about any referrals that come back and if they will be truly safe for her. She is already at high risk. I’ve learned…that some of these resources are never going to be the ideal safety net that queer people, trans women especially, need. But we can do our best, and there are more options coming as time passes. Especially now, more than a couple years ago, [although] they’re not there to their full capacity that I know they can be. You see the resources already with straight people and cis people of color (POC)… [and this] ties into places being intersectional. That’s a thing we do in DV training--we show that people have a lot of identities. Like, I’m nonbinary, but I’m also a POC, and it affects me differently than someone who is cis and POC. Places need to be intersectional in their resources because the client base isn’t going to be one thing and one thing only. [This sort of progress] is slow as progress is within our political climate. It helps that MN is a trans refugee state…people that come to MN will be safe and are able to receive gender affirming care if they need it. If we were not based in MN, that could look totally different.
DAP: If you won the lottery and didn’t tell anyone, would there be signs?
Jazz: I would have just an increasing number of sweatshirts. I love being cozy, and sweatshirts are just top tier…[they’re] my souvenir of choice. Oh, also an increasing amount of Black Panther items! I have like three Black Panther shirts, pajamas, sweatshirts, a wine cup, and my license plate says “WAKANDA.” I [also] have a sticker that says, “powered by Vibranium” and my car’s name is M’Baku…I even have a tattoo of the heart-shaped herb from Black Panther, which is the herb that gives [T’Challa] his powers, and it’s a mix of the comic book adaption and the live movie adaptation. Number one, if I won the lottery and didn’t tell anyone, I would come to work in Black Panther onesie. That would be it. I would just be cozy.
