AVP has learned of an anti-gay hate violence incident in Brooklyn, NY. According to social media posts by a family member, a woman was walking in her neighborhood when a man started to follow her. The man taunted her saying “You think you’re a man? Since you think you’re a man, I’m going to treat you like a man,” before hitting her in the face. The survivor sustained severe injuries.
AVP has reached out to NYPD for more information and is working with partner organizations in the area to continue to build safer communities for LGBTQ and HIV-affected people.
- Make your presence known by asking questions and talking to both the victim and the perpetrator.
- Speak up, be LOUD, and call out what’s happening: identifying violence by name can help deter it.
- Distract and divert the attacker’s attention by making a scene, and being noisy to draw the attention of others.
- Record what’s happening by taking video on your phone.
- Ask what support the survivor needs and provide it if you can.
REPORTING VIOLENCE HELPS END VIOLENCE:
AVP encourages you to report violence you experience or witness to our free and confidential 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek support, or you can report violence anonymously online, or to ask for a counselor to reach out to you.