The AVP Action Brief tracks actions of the Trump administration that impact our communities’ safety and rights and offers concrete steps that we can take to stand up for safety and justice.
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White Supremacy is connected to Homophobia and Transphobia
This weekend, we were horrified—but not surprised—by the outbreak of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. We watched footage of the horde of white supremacists storming through the streets of Charlottesville and across the University of Virginia campus yelling anti-Semitic, anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and other hateful chants. Three people lost their lives as a result of this violence, including two state troopers, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, left, and Trooper Berke M. M. Bates, who were killed in a helicopter crash, and Heather Heyer, a counter-protester who was killed defending justice and peace.
We condemn this violence and the hateful ideologies that have led to it. We know that we cannot end homophobia, transphobia, white supremacy, or the violence this hatred breeds by ignoring it or assuming it does not exist where we live.
In the words of our Executive Director Beverly Tillery, “Yes, white supremacy looks like a band of Nazis with torches, but it is also looks like the Muslim ban and building a wall. It looks like efforts to reverse affirmative action, gerrymandering, and restricting voting rights of people of color. And white supremacy breeds the homophobia and transphobia that undergirds the crisis of violence our LGBTQ communities are facing right now.”
See the action steps below for ways to get involved in speaking out and standing against white supremacy in your life and your community.
Hate Breeds Anti-LGBTQ Policies
Meanwhile, this is happening as the federal government continues to try to roll back protections for LGBTQ people. A proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to remove anti-discrimination protections within the Affordable Care Act that are intended to protect LGBTQ people and women who have had abortions, most likely enabling this discrimination under the guise of “religious exemption”. And the Department of Justice is considering reversing existing protections for transgender inmates, in light of a lawsuit filed by cisgender women inmates arguing against those protections, on the grounds of privacy and religious freedom.
Once again, we recognize these flimsy “religious freedom” arguments for what they are: bigotry. We will not stand for any diminished protections for our already vulnerable communities. We refuse to let hate take hold.
Here’s what you can do.
- Join the protests and actions around New York City this week. Here are some tips for staying safe while out in the streets. If you’re not in NYC, find an action near you on the Indivisible database.
- Sign the MoveOn petition – President Trump: Disavow White Supremacy and Fire Bannon and Gorka.
- Call out white supremacy, racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and all forms of hate when you see them, and have conversations that help shift our culture around hate. Some ideas that may help can be accessed here.
- Report violence you experience or witness to AVP and Communities Against Hate.
- If you know someone who is an LGBTQ survivor of violence who is experiencing trauma or fear as a result of these recent actions, encourage them to contact AVP’s confidential 24-hour English/Spanish hotline at (212) 714-1141. They will be connected with a counselor who understands the ways this political climate is affecting our communities.
- Get involved—volunteer with AVP!
- Support AVP: Give now to ensure our voices are heard.
- Forward this email to a friend. Ask them to sign up for the AVP Action Brief to stay informed and activated, too.
Further reading:
BuzzFeed – The Justice Department Is Evaluating Obama-Era Rules For Transgender Prisoners
The Hill – Trump expected to roll back LGBT protections in ObamaCare
Vox – How to find your local “Solidarity with Charlottesville” demonstration