The Phoenix Center at Auraria

The Phoenix Center at Auraria The Phoenix Center at Auraria serves the Auraria campus. Its services are free and confidential!

The Phoenix Center at Auraria (PCA) is a free and confidential resource for students, faculty, and staff associated with the Auraria Campus who need assistance related to Interpersonal Violence (relationship violence, sexual violence, and stalking).

07/29/2026

In this episode of The Phoenix Cast, we talk with reproductive health advocate Cristina Ponce about abortion access, reproductive coercion, and why protecting survivor autonomy is essential to safety and healing.

This is a sneak peek of part 1, so please stay for part 2 of this episode!
 
CW: intimate partner violence, reproductive coercion, abortion, pregnancy loss, and abuse-related trauma.

Today we honor Ellen Pence (she/her), a q***r icon, community activist, and survivor advocate whose work transformed the...
06/29/2026

Today we honor Ellen Pence (she/her), a q***r icon, community activist, and survivor advocate whose work transformed the movement to end relationship violence.
 
Ellen was a remarkable pioneer in the field of interpersonal violence (IPV). She made incredible contributions like co-creating the Duluth Model for survivors of IPV. Also, in 1987 she introduced the Power and Control as well as Equality Wheel. These tools helped people better understand the patterns of abuse that exist within abusive relationships. Today, it is used around the world by advocates, educators, and other human services professionals to support survivors and strengthen violence prevention efforts. 
We at the PCA have adapted the Power and Control Wheel as well as an Equity Wheel for our advocacy and prevention work as well. You can find them at our website: thepca.org/ipv-101-1 and the pca.org/healthy-relationships.
 
Ellen’s legacy lives on through the countless advocates, educators, and organizations that continue using her work to support survivors. She reminded us that ending violence takes all of us. It takes compassion. It takes accountability. And it takes communities willing to create change.

🌈💜
Thank you for joining us in recognizing such amazing icons this Pride Month. We’ve loved celebrating just a few of the LGBTQ+ activists who advocated for survivors of IPV. At the same time, we know there are so many more stories to tell. We can’t wait to continue highlighting more LGBTQ+ changemakers with you next Pride Month.❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
 
Help honor Ellen’s legacy:
📚 Learn LGBTQ+ history.
🤝 Support survivors.
🗣️ Speak out against violence and discrimination.
❤️ Build communities rooted in care and accountability.

We're starting a new series, y'all! Welcome to Resource Friday!Every Friday, we will be highlighting a campus or communi...
06/27/2026

We're starting a new series, y'all! Welcome to Resource Friday!

Every Friday, we will be highlighting a campus or community resource related to IPV, sexual health, basic needs, housing- you name it!

Why more than just IPV? Because this work is intersectional. People's identities and material conditions can increase their risk of experiencing IPV and impact the quality of support they receive during and after surviving violence. Empowering our community members through resource connection is essential to preventing and responding to IPV.

Our very first Resource Friday shoutout is none other than THE Rose Andom Center, a collaborative advocacy center located in downtown Denver that provides services to survivors of relationship violence and sexual assault.

Scroll to learn more about Rose Andom Center, and make sure to give them a follow!

Today during Pride Month, we honor Ky Peterson (he/him), a transgender activist, survivor, and advocate. ⚠️ CONTENT WARN...
06/26/2026

Today during Pride Month, we honor Ky Peterson (he/him), a transgender activist, survivor, and advocate.
 
⚠️ CONTENT WARNING ⚠️: SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND R**E

 
 
 
Raised in Georgia, Ky’s life was shaped by resilience in the face of systemic discrimination, violence, and transphobia. In 2011, after defending himself during r**e, Ky was sentenced to prison. He served nine years and endured abuse, isolation, and mistreatment while incarcerated.
 
Despite these challenges, Ky refused to be silenced. His case sparked national attention and mobilized advocates across the country. Countless people fought for Ky’s release and they helped to bring awareness to the injustices faced by transgender folx in the criminal legal system.
 
Following his release in 2020, Ky has continued to share his experiences as a public speaker. He proudly advocates for transgender rights, prison abolition, and the protection of Black transgender lives. His courage has helped expose the violence transgender folx often face and inspired others to organize for change.
 
Ultimately, Ky’s work and experiences have helped educate the public about challenges faced by transgender survivors of IPV and the need for more equitable legal systems.
 
Ky’s story reminds us that justice must include transgender people. Survival is an act of resistance. And every person deserves safety, dignity, and the freedom to live as their authentic self.
❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
 
Help honor Ky’s legacy:
📚 Learn about transgender history and advocacy.
🤝 Support organizations working for prison reform and LGBTQIA+ justice.
🗣️ Speak out against anti-trans discrimination and violence.
❤️ Build communities rooted in dignity, inclusion, and care.

Today during Pride Month, we honor Victoria Cruz (she/her), a transgender icon, community activist, survivor advocate, a...
06/23/2026

Today during Pride Month, we honor Victoria Cruz (she/her), a transgender icon, community activist, survivor advocate, and retired relationship violence counselor. Her life and work have helped shape the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation and safety.

Raised in Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, New York, Victoria came of age in New York City’s vibrant q***r nightlife scene and built lasting friendships with trailblazing activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

As a Latina transgender woman, Victoria lived through racial discrimination, the criminalization of gender expression, and survived both addiction and sexual violence.

Drawing from those experiences, she dedicated her career to supporting others through her work with the Anti-Violence Project, where she began as a volunteer and later became a senior relationship violence counselor.

Though now retired, Victoria continues to advocate for transgender communities and remains a powerful voice in the movement to end violence against transgender women of color.

Victoria’s legacy reminds us that safety is a liberation issue. Healing happens in community. And every survivor deserves support that affirms their identity, dignity, and humanity.
❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Help honor Victoria’s legacy:
📚 Learn LGBTQ+ history.
🤝 Support survivors.
🗣️ Speak out against violence and discrimination.
❤️ Build communities rooted in care and accountability.

Today during Pride Month, we honor Victoria Cruz (she/her), a transgender icon, community activist, survivor advocate, a...
06/23/2026

Today during Pride Month, we honor Victoria Cruz (she/her), a transgender icon, community activist, survivor advocate, and retired relationship violence counselor. Her life and work have helped shape the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation and safety.

Raised in Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, New York, Victoria came of age in New York City’s vibrant q***r nightlife scene and built lasting friendships with trailblazing activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
As a transgender woman, Victoria lived through the criminalization of gender expression and survived both addiction and sexual violence.

Drawing from those experiences, she dedicated her career to supporting others through her work with the Anti-Violence Project, where she began as a volunteer and later became a senior relationship violence counselor.

Though now retired, Victoria continues to advocate for transgender communities and remains a powerful voice in the movement to end violence against transgender women of color.

Victoria’s legacy reminds us that safety is a liberation issue. Healing happens in community. And every survivor deserves support that affirms their identity, dignity, and humanity.
❤️🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Help honor Victoria’s legacy:
📚 Learn LGBTQ+ history.
🤝 Support survivors.
🗣️ Speak out against violence and discrimination.
❤️ Build communities rooted in care and accountability.

Have You Seen This?  North Carolina is trying to amend their state constitution with a new bill targeting reproductive r...
06/18/2026

Have You Seen This?
 
North Carolina is trying to amend their state constitution with a new bill targeting reproductive rights in order to affirm that life begins at fertilization.
 
North Carolina’s state legislature recently proposed a House Bill 1232 which states: “Any person who willfully seeks to destroy the life of another person, by any means, at any stage of life, or succeeds in doing so, shall be held accountable for attempted murder or for first degree murder, respectively.” It does not allow exceptions for r**e, in**st, or the life of the parent.
 
The bill also says that “any person has the right to defend his or her own life or the life of another person, even by the use of deadly force if necessary, from willful destruction by another person.”
 
The bill’s language implies that the law would allow people to kill individuals using birth control methods like contraceptives that prevent the implantation of a fertilized embryo, such as IUDs. Advocates worry that this bill would mean extreme danger and death for people who need healthcare services like abortion, IUDs, and even in vitro fertilization (IVF).
 
Access to abortion and contraception is not just healthcare. For some people, it is safety. Reproductive coercion is a real threat, especially for survivors of IPV.
And when policies restrict or complicate access to long-acting contraception, survivors are the ones most at risk.
 
This is why reproductive healthcare access matters.
Survivors should have access to comprehensive healthcare and deserve bodily autonomy.
 
Survivors deserve:
💜Access to the full range of contraceptive options
💜Confidential reproductive healthcare
💜Protection from reproductive coercion
💜Policies that prioritize safety, autonomy, and bodily integrity
 
Reproductive freedom can be a lifeline for people experiencing abuse.

05/02/2026

And like that, our SAAPM programming for the year ends where it started - The Clothesline Project.

Shout out to our lovely volunteers who spent an hour of their Friday taking this installment down with us! Y’all are the best. 💜

05/01/2026

YOU READ THAT RIGHT!

The PCA is now offering paid violence prevention educator interships and are currently looking for students to join our team for the 2026-2027 academic year!

Learn more about the open positions and apply by heading to our linktr.ee link in our bio and selecting “Violence Prevention Educator Positions” under the “Get Involved” category or by going to www.thepca.org/violence-prevention-educator.

Interviews for the positions will begin the week after finals. Application will stay open until we fill all needed roles.

04/28/2026

The Consent Turns Me On (CTMO) Carnival is TOMORROW!!!!!

Check out all the amazing door giveaways, game giveaways, and passport giveaways you can walk away with in our reel!

Join us for games and fun anytime between 10AM-2PM TOMORROW good job in Turnhalle 250.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

Address

900 Auraria Pkwy, Suite 259
Denver, CO
80204

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+13033157250

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Phoenix Center at Auraria posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to The Phoenix Center at Auraria:

Shortcuts

Share

Category