Dati has signed with Brown’s “The Elite Speakers Bureau” as its first gay male survivor of domestic abuse who will speak to audiences nationwide about intimate partner violence affecting gay and straight men and the LGBTQ community. Dati is most well-known for his bravery in revealing and overcoming a brutal sexual assault at age 9 by serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
The Elite Speakers Bureau was formed in 2010 by Brown to bring awareness and provide education on domestic violence, school safety, child abuse, teen violence, elder abuse, stalking, net crimes, workplace violence, victims of crime, sexual assault, mental health & wellness and more.
“I am so grateful to Denise Brown for giving me this platform to amplify the often invisible issue of domestic abuse impacting gay men, straight men and members of the LGBTQ community,” said Dati. “As a gay male survivor of domestic violence, I know first hand how the cycle of victimisation can lead people into abusive relationships and how fear compels them to stay. I also understand all too well the stigma and isolation facing male and LGBTQ survivors of domestic abuse. Joining ‘The Elite Speakers Bureau’ will allow me to share my personal story with thousands of people and help male victims and LGBTQ people experiencing domestic abuse to come out of the shadows and onto the road to recovery, healing and empowerment.”
“We are proud and honoured to welcome Patrick Dati to ‘The Elite Speakers Bureau,’” said Denise Brown. “As a gay male advocate for ending domestic abuse, he believes domestic violence is not only an important women’s issue, but it is also everyone’s issue. We look forward to booking Patrick for a host of speaking engagements across the country so he can educate key audiences about this forgotten topic and work towards viable solutions that will help men and LGBTQ people who have endured domestic abuse.”
In 2012 Dati was chosen as one of six trauma victim survivors to be a spokesperson by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In 2016, Dati received a reply letter from President Obama honouring him for sharing his story and being the type of survivor who helps victims. In 2016, Dati was chosen as keynote speaker for Break the Silence Foundation, a domestic violence non-profit organisation which elected him in 2017 to their board of directors as Chairman of their Planning Committee.
Dati is also the author of a moving personal memoir, “I AM ME”. In his presentations, he describes the painful domestic verbal abuse he endured from ex-wives and the physical abuse he suffered from his first LGBTQ partner. “It can happen in heterosexual or same-sex relationships. It happened to me in both and I survived,” Dati said.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) calls intimate partner (IPV) violence “a serious yet oft-ignored issue facing LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities.” Read its latest report here.
