Behind the scenes of LGBTQI+ Advocacy: A mental health conversation with Valentina Parra

Valentina Parra is a feminist lawyer with Colombia Diversa, an Inter Pares counterpart advocating for LGBTQI+ rights in Colombia. She leads a team of lawyers who work alongside LGBTQI+ survivors of violence, supporting their pursuit of justice and litigating on their behalf. 

It is heavy work. And it takes a mental toll.

We recently spoke with Valentina to find out how she and her team take care of their mental health while doing this crucial work. 

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Q: How is your team building mental health care into your work?

A: We have regular group meetings guided by a psychologist. They’re safe spaces for us to share what has been hard in our work, because we work with people living in crises and conflict contexts. Before we started having these meetings, we weren't able to talk about any of this. The whole team thought being professional meant keeping everything in.

Now we have a specific space to talk about mental health where we’re sure nobody will judge the quality of our work because of what we are feeling.

Q: Have there been challenges since starting these meetings? 

A: When we first started, we kept rescheduling and postponing them. We have a lot of urgent work – something always felt more important than these meetings.

But we realized we couldn’t see mental wellness as optional, an accessory thing to deal with later once you’re sick. These meetings, these conversations, are also urgent. We decided to set a regular meeting every month and prioritize it. 

Q: Why is it important to you to share your team’s mental health practices?

A: Because we need to make mental healthcare part of the job. If you work in a laboratory, you put on your lab coat and mask. You have all this equipment protecting you. When you finish your work, you take off your work clothes, wash your hands and try not to bring home what you’re working with in the lab.

But when you work with social violence, if you don't have a routine of how to leave the office, finish the day and stop thinking about violence, you will bring it to your home.

Q: How do the mental health policies that your team has put in place show your feminist values?

A: We need to take care of each other. The responsibility is with us to care for one another and build community. And I think there’s nothing more feminist than that.

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