Orie Givens, Author at NYC Anti-Violence Project

AVP’s Beverly Tillery Joins CBS 2 New York To Discuss Matthew Shepard, 25 Years Later, and AVP’s Anti-Violence Work

October 12, 2023

October 12th marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, who was violently attacked and died from his injuries near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. While the LGBTQ+ community has made great strides in the quarter century since that tragic day, the recent surge in violence targeting the LGBTQ+ community is a tough reminder of how much work remains to be done in the fight for freedom for the LGBTQ+ community. To[...]

September 25, 2023

New York, New York - Four months after the disciplinary trial against Officers Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis for the 2019 killing of Kawaski Trawick, the NYPD deputy commissioner who oversaw the trial recommended that the charges against the two officers be dismissed. Trawick, a 32-year-old Black gay man, was cooking in his own Bronx apartment when officers broke the chain on his door, illegally entered his apartment, and then tased and sh[...]

AVP’s Beverly Tillery Joins Clinton Global Initiative Panel To Address Gender-based Violence

September 20, 2023

AVP was on the international stage on Monday as AVP’s Executive Director Beverly Tillery spoke on a featured panel at the Clinton Global Initiative The Pandemic Of Gender-based Violence: How To Address The Threats meeting in New York City on September 18, 2023. Moderated by Dr. Chelsea Clinton, Beverly shared the panel with Jackson Katz of MVP Strategies and Kalpana Viswanath of Safetipin to discuss the layers of gender-based violence, wi[...]

AVP Responds to Announcement of Arrest in the Death of O’Shae Sibley

August 4, 2023

The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) and our communities are in a compounded state of grief and mourning today. Over the past several days our communities have laid bare their pain and trauma for the world to see in response to the death of O’Shae Sibley. We have witnessed an outpouring of emotion, questions, demands, and truths about the state of our world. This arrest does not acknowledge the underlying issues of violence that our[...]

O’Shae Sibley Community Gatherings

August 3, 2023

AVP continues to grieve with the community over the violent killing of our sibling, O’Shae Sibley, a 28-year-old professional dancer. As the chosen family and loved ones, as well as the community at large work to plan remembrances and events celebrating his life, AVP will work to collect this information here. For questions and to get updates, sign up using the form below. And remember, if you need support or assistance, call 212-714-[...]

AVP issues community alert as LGBTQ+ New Yorkers face continued violence

August 1, 2023

The New York City Anti-Violence Project is calling on New Yorkers to support LGBTQ+ people and put safety at the top of their minds, as at least 45 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents, including at least three homicides, have been tracked or reported across the city so far in 2023. Most recently, a 28-year-old man, O’Shae Sibley was harassed and stabbed in Midwood after he and his friends were harassed for voguing and dancing in public and later died from[...]

Survey: LGBTQ+ Organizations Faced Relentless Hate in 2022, Have Dire Needs for Security Resources

July 12, 2023

Report is the first-of-it-kind featuring data from 380 organizations nationwide about hate violence, reporting and resolution, and hate prevention needs. LGBTQ+ safety isn’t just a Pride month topic. In fact, it’s critical to address the other 11 months of the year and support these organizations daily by ensuring they have what they need to be safe.” — Beverly Tillery, Executive Director, New York City Anti-Violence Project NEW [...]

AVP Issues Statement Concerning Recent Supreme Court Decisions

June 30, 2023

The New York City Anti-Violence Project issues the following statement concerning recent Supreme Court decisions rolling back progress on equal rights and accommodations. In the past two days, the United States Supreme Court has taken dangerous steps toward the recent trend of institutions re-enshrining discrimination into law and away from acknowledging and addressing the impact discrimination has on the rights, protections, and safety of a[...]

40 Change Makers: Kito Huggins

June 23, 2023

Kito Huggins has been a board member of AVP since 2018, also serving as the board chair until December 2023. Kito’s five years have been full working with “an organization that had a real-life, tangible positive impact.” From how AVP supports survivors, to their work with incarcerated populations, Kito discussed the importance of working with LGBTQ advocacy organizations that create meaningful change. Here we talked about aligning wi[...]

AVP responds to multiple incidents of anti-LGBTQ vandalism in New York City

June 21, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 21, 2023 (New York) As we approach NYC Pride weekend, the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) calls on New Yorkers to help keep our city safe for all. The recent destruction of Pride flags at the Stonewall Memorial and in Queens is part of a disturbing trend of increased anti-LGBTQ+ violence occurring across the United States, and unfortunately, in our local communities. Vandalism, threats and protests against L[...]

Joint response from LGBTQ+ organizations Anti-Violence Project, CenterLink: The Community of LGBTQ+ Centers, and Equality Federation on Biden-Harris Administration Announcement on Actions to Protect LGBTQI+ Communities

June 8, 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JUNE 8, 2023 (New York) The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP), a national leader in anti-LGBTQ+ violence prevention and the coordinator of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, CenterLink, an international nonprofit organization and member association of LGBTQ+ organizations, and Equality Federation, an LGBTQ+ advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice, issue this joint statement in response to the se[...]

Tips To Stay Safe during PRIDE 2023

June 6, 2023

Pride 2023 is here, and as we celebrate community and affirm our place in the world, we must remain vigilant to the increased and very real threats of individual and organized hate violence targeted against the LGBTQ+ community. Millions of us will gather together in groups big and small for rallies, marches, parades, festivals, events and more - celebrating our existence and resilience and honoring the legacy that came before us. But as we kno[...]