AVP has learned of an anti-LGBTQ incident which occurred on a Q train in Brooklyn on Saturday, May 20th at about 7:30pm. According to media reports, a man attacked a woman and her girlfriend while shouting homophobic slurs as the train pulled into the DeKalb Station. Antoine Thomas, 27, was apprehended in connection with the attack. One of the survivors required medical attention at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital for the severity of their injuries.
AVP has reached out to HollaBack, Make the Road New York, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember Laurie Cumbo, the office of New York City Councilmember Brad Lander, the office of New York City Councilmember Stephen Levin, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, the LGBT Liaison to the Police Commissioner, and the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau.
TAKE ACTION WITH AVP
We all have a role in ending violence. One way to take action right now is to take our Bystander Intervention Pledge, #IWillNotStandBy, to commit to look out for one another, to report anti-LGBTQ violence and discrimination where we witness it, and to intervene in ways that are safe for ourselves and those around us.
If you witness hate violence you can:
- Assess the situation to see how you can best take action. Only proceed if it is safe to do so in all of these instances.
- 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.
- Report the incident to AVP on our 24/7 hotline at 212-714-1141 or our Online Reporting Form. The hotline can also be a resource for the survivor if they so choose.
AVP will be doing outreach in Downtown Brooklyn in the weeks ahead to hand out safety information and resources. Additionally, to work on issues of violence in an ongoing way, join AVP’s Hate Violence Community Action Committee, a community and survivor-led working group that addresses hate violence, police violence, hook-up violence, and discrimination against LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities, which meets monthly at AVP. To join us for outreach or to get involved with our Hate Violence Community Action Committee contact LaLa Zannell at lzannell@avp.org.
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.