FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Cindi Creager, CreagerCole Communications
(646) 279-4559, cindi@creagercole.com
New York, NY – The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) celebrates the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022. VAWA creates and supports responses to intimate partner violence/domestic violence, sexual assault dating assault, and stalking. The legislation, signed into law by President Biden today, is part of the omnibus appropriations bill and includes a number of enhancements to increase access to VAWA-funded programs and improve VAWA’s responsiveness to the needs of survivors.
“Passage of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 will help ensure even more resources and services are available to LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual violence,” said Beverly Tillery, Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates NCAVP. “This legislation has the strongest-ever provisions to benefit LGBTQ survivors. While the LGBTQ community continues to experience a barrage of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ attacks across the nation, VAWA provides a brief moment of hope that we can and will continue to make important advancements for our community. This victory is the result of a strong coalition of advocates who have been willing to fight with and for the most marginalized communities in our country.”
“LGBTQ survivors of domestic and sexual violence deserve dignity and respect, especially when they are seeking critical services that can help them recover from violent situations,” said the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Chief Impact Officer and NCAVP Policy Representative Terra Russell-Slavin. “The reauthorization of VAWA, with the first-ever standalone grant program for LGBTQ survivors, sends a much-needed national message of support to LGBTQ survivors when our community is under attack in statehouses across the country. The Center is proud to have worked with NCAVP to help champion these efforts.”
The reauthorization process began in 2016 and is the outcome of six years of bipartisan negotiation. NCAVP thanks President Biden for continuing to prioritize support for survivors of intimate partner violence and for a commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policies. We also thank the bill sponsors and the community of survivors, advocates, and others who helped support this bill.
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The NCAVP works to prevent, respond to, and end all forms of violence against and within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected (LGBTQH) communities. NCAVP is a national coalition of local member programs and affiliate organizations who create systemic and social change. NCAVP is a program of the New York City Anti-Violence Project.