Category: Community Alert

AVP mourns the death of Mx Bostick, a transgender person of color in Chelsea, Manhattan

May 5, 2017

AVP has learned of the death of Mx Bostick a 59-year-old Black transgender person in Chelsea. Since issuing our alert, we have learned that Mx Bostick identified as transgender, and used alternating names to identify themselves. To honor that, we are using Mx, an honorific that does not connote gender. According to media reports, a Mx Bostick was found unconscious with apparent head trauma on Tuesday, April 25th, 2017 at 7th Avenue and 29th Street in Manhattan. They were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they died of their injuries yesterday, May 4th, 2017. There has been an arrest in connection with their homicide.

“Transgender people are targeted all too often for severe and deadly violence,” said Beverly Tillery, Executive Director at the New York City Anti-Violence Project.  “We are facing a crisis of violence. Ten transgender people have already been killed so far in 2017 and this must stop. As a society we can stop this epidemic by hiring trans people of color, making sure they have safe places to live and standing up when we see or hear them being demeaned and attacked and simply by valuing their lives. The moment to act is now.”

AVP has reached out to The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York City, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember Corey Johnson, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force, 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 Chelsea 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.

Support AVP’s work to make the city safer for LGBTQ and HIV-affected New Yorkers. Donate to AVP today.

AVP learns of anti-gay vandalism incidents in Astoria, Queens

April 26, 2017

AVP has learned of several incidents of anti-gay vandalism which occurred this past week in Astoria, Queens. According to media reports, a series of garages and a connecting wall on 23rd Street between 28th and 29th avenues were spray-painted with slurs. The graffiti was anti-Obama and used anti-gay slurs, similar to an incident of vandalism that occurred last month, targeting the offices of New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and New York State Assemblyperson Aravella Simotas. Police believe that the vandalism was committed by the same suspect behind similar recent graffiti incidents in the area.

AVP has reached out to the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City Councilmember Costa Constantinides, New York City Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, and Make the Road New York.

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 Astoria in the weeks ahead to hand out safety information and resources. 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.

AVP Learns of an Anti-Gay Incident in Downtown Brooklyn

April 3, 2017

AVP has learned of an anti-gay incident which occurred last Thursday, March 30th, 2017 in Downtown Brooklyn. According to media reports, a gay-identified man boarded a subway train at the Franklin Avenue subway stop on the A/C line and was physically assaulted by a man hurling anti-gay slurs as the train pulled into the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station.

AVP has reached out to Make the Road New York, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, 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.

SUPPORT AVP’S WORK TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR LGBTQ AND HIV-AFFECTED NEW YORKERS

Get regular updates on our ongoing work on Facebook or Twitter, and get involved and make a difference.

AVP Learns of Anti-Gay Vandalism Incidents in Astoria, Queens

March 22, 2017

AVP has learned of several incidents of anti-gay vandalism which occurred this past week in Astoria, Queens. According to media reports, the office building that was targeted houses two Democratic local lawmakers: New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and New York State Assemblyperson Aravella Simotas. The graffiti was anti-Obama and used anti-gay slurs.
AVP has reached out to the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, New York State Assemblyperson Aravella Simotas, New York City Councilmember Costa Constantinides, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Queens 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 Astoria 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.

SUPPORT AVP’S WORK TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR LGBTQ AND HIV-AFFECTED NEW YORKERS

Get regular updates on our ongoing work on Facebook or Twitter, and get involved and make a difference.

AVP Learns of an Anti-transgender Hate Violence Incident in Jackson Heights, Queens

March 20, 2017

AVP has learned of an anti-transgender hate violence incident which occurred in Jackson Heights, Queens outside the McDonald’s on 82nd Street, near Roosevelt Avenue, on Friday afternoon, March, 17th, 2017. According to media reports, a resident of Long Island, who has since been arrested and charged with a hate crime, physically and verbally attacked two transgender woman as they tried to enter the McDonald’s.

AVP has reached out to Make the Road New York, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember Julissa Fererras-Copeland, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Queens 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 Jackson Heights 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.

SUPPORT AVP’S WORK TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR LGBTQ AND HIV-AFFECTED NEW YORKERS

Get regular updates on our ongoing work on Facebook or Twitter, and get involved and make a difference.

AVP Learns of an Anti-Gay Attack in Midtown, Manhattan

March 16, 2017

AVP has learned of an anti-gay attack which occurred on Sunday morning, March 12th, 2017 outside of Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. According to media reports, the survivor, who identifies as gay, was verbally and physically assaulted by a stranger who also threatened to kill him. An arrest was made in connection to this assault.

AVP has reached out to The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York City, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember Corey Johnson, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Manhattan 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 Midtown 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.

SUPPORT AVP’S WORK TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR LGBTQ AND HIV-AFFECTED NEW YORKERS

Get regular updates on our ongoing work on Facebook or Twitter, and get involved and make a difference.

A Message From the Executive Director: United Against Hate

March 13, 2017

Dear Friends,

I am writing to tell you about an important national initiative launching today that AVP is proud to be a part of, Communities Against Hate.

In the wake of the 2016 election, there has been a surge of incidents of hate violence reported across the country against LGBTQ people as well as Muslims, immigrants, people of color, and more. Safe spaces in our community such as LGBTQ and Jewish community centers as well as churches and schools have been threatened and vandalized. So many of us across our country have been and continue to be affected by this violence.

At AVP, central to our core values and mission, is the belief that no one should be targeted for violence because of their race, gender, gender identity, religion, nation of origin, immigration status or any other identity or characteristics. We also believe that we must stand together against violence regardless of who is being targeted. We must speak out against hate and bigotry when we see it and document incidents of hate whenever they arise.

Through the Communities Against Hate Initiative, we are joining other social justice organizations – including Leadership Conference Education Fund, Muslim Advocates, Transgender Law Center, Hollaback, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Color of Change – to document hate violence, share data across communities, and map a full picture of hate incidents in the United States. Collectively, we aim to protect the rights of communities that are most vulnerable; increase services, change policy and promote a restorative justice approach to addressing incidents of hate.

AVP has been tracking violence against LGBTQ people for over 30 years, and we are thrilled to bring our expertise and experience to the Communities Against Hate Initiative. We believe this important data will help inform and empower all of us to stand up against hate-based violence and the racism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia and other forms of bias and oppression in which this violence is rooted. This initiative is a model for the creative, collaborative and intersectional work we must do now, more than ever.

What can you do? Help us collect data on hate violence incidents, raise awareness, and educate the public on the prevalence of hate. Share your story if you experience anti-LGBTQ violence. Report incidents of LGBTQ hate violence in your neighborhoods and communities. Share incidents of LGBTQ hate violence that you read about in your local newspapers, and report other forms of hate violence such as anti-Muslim, anti-Immigrant, anti-Black and anti-disability that you experience or witness.

Please note, that the Communities Against Hate platform will not immediately connect you with an AVP service provider. If you have witnessed or experienced violence and need to reach an AVP counselor or access immediate support, please call AVP’s 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) Hotline: 212-714-1141.

We must be united. We must report violence in our communities. We must never normalize hate. AVP is here for you and we are all in this together. Please consider making a donation today to help support this project and all of AVP’s vital work.

Until we are all safe and free,

Beverly Tillery

Executive Director

AVP Action Brief: White House Signals Lack of Support for Transgender Students; Trump’s Immigration Rules and Enforcement Hurt Survivors of Violence

February 22, 2017

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. We are here for you and we are in this together.

White House Signals Lack of Support for Transgender Students

The Trump administration is poised to overturn federal guidance that protects transgender students in schools. Title IX is a federal law that states that no person can be discriminated against on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that receives federal financial assistance. Guidance issued under the Obama administration clarified for educators that Title IX’s protections include the right of transgender students to use the bathroom or locker room that matches their gender identity.  While overturning this guidance will not change the law, it sends a message that this administration does not and will not support the rights of transgender students who already face disproportionate bullying, harassment and violence in schools. All students deserve safe environments in which to learn, and we must continue to demand that school officials ensure transgender students are protected.

Trump’s Immigration Rules and Enforcement Hurt Survivors of Violence

Yesterday the Department of Homeland Security released a set of new rules for how they will carry out the Trump administration’s executive orders on immigration. Immigration officials will be expected to deport anyone convicted of any criminal offense (not just serious crimes, as was policy under the Obama administration). The rules also seek to expand the government’s ability to deny entry into the U.S. or deport people from the U.S. without giving them the right to be heard by a judge. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security has been directed to hire 10,000 new immigration and customs agents, expand the number of detention facilities, and increase the use of local law enforcement to assist with deportations. These steps will likely tear apart families, deny immigrants their right to due process and result in the profiling and targeting of millions of people.

Trump’s executive orders are already having a profound and horrifying impact on many in our communities, and these new rules make it clear that things will only get worse. Two weeks ago, an undocumented transgender woman named Ms. Gonzalez who is a survivor of domestic violence was arrested by immigration officials in an El Paso, Texas courthouse where she was obtaining a protective order against her abusive partner. The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), which AVP coordinates, and the Transgender Law Center issued a statement denouncing the arrest and calling for the survivor’s immediate release.

Right here in New York City many immigrant survivors of violence, documented and undocumented, who receive services from AVP have reported feeling fear and anxiety about being profiled or arrested. AVP has seen a significant increase in non English-speaking hotline callers and clients. Some clients, however are afraid to leave their homes, to appear in court, or even to access our services. As a result, AVP s continues to find ways to make our services and programs safe and accessible for all. We offer counseling sessions by phone and we continue to partner with other organizations to bring our free legal clinics to communities throughout the city.

Here’s what you can do.

  • Call the Department of Education comment line: (800) 872-5327 or switchboard: (202) 401-3000 to voice your support of protections for transgender students under Title IX.
  • Sign the Transgender Law Center’s petition for the release of Ms. Gonzalez, the undocumented transgender domestic violence survivor detained in El Paso, Texas. Show your support online using the hashtag #FreeMsGonzalez.
  • If you know someone who is an LGBTQ survivor of violence who is experiencing trauma or fear as a result of these recent government actions, please encourage them to contact AVP’s confidential 24-hour English/Spanish hotline at (212) 714-1141. You will be connected with a counselor who understands the ways this political climate is affecting our communities.
  • Attend and share info about our free LGBTQ Legal Clinics focused on immigration, ID and document change and more.
  • Forward this email to a friend. Ask them to sign up for the AVP Action Brief to stay informed and activated, too.

 

Further reading:

New York Times: New Trump Deportation Rules Allow Far More Expulsions
Mother Jones: Jeff Sessions Is in Charge of Enforcing the Violence Against Women Act, and Victims’ Advocates Are Worried
NBC: Spicer: Expect New Transgender Student Policy Wednesday
Via NBC: Draft Bathroom Guidance Letter

 

AVP Action Brief: We’re Watching You, Devos

February 7, 2017

Our 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. We are here for you and we are in this together.

We’re watching you, DeVos

This afternoon, Betsy DeVos was confirmed for Secretary of Education after a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence. DeVos, whose family foundation has donated millions of dollars to anti-LGBTQ organizations that support conversion therapy, is dangerously unqualified for the position of Secretary of Education. During her confirmation hearing, she didn’t understand that students with disabilities are protected by federal law; when asked about Title IX, a federal law that prohibits discrimination in schools based on sex and gender identity, she said it would be “premature” to uphold a 2011 rule that requires colleges to take an active role in preventing sexual assault.

In Trump’s cabinet, DeVos is responsible for ensuring that LGBTQ students are safe and free from harassment. She now has the ability to overturn the protections for transgender students enacted during the Obama administration. We must hold DeVos and all who voted for her accountable at every step to protect public schools, LGBTQ students, students with disabilities, and student survivors of violence. In the coming months, we will be watching the policy that comes out of the Department of Education, and we will be prepared to take action against any rollbacks of protections for our nation’s LGBTQ and other vulnerable youth.

Here’s what you can do.

  • AVP offers free trainings to schools, educators and community groups around LGBTQ competence and anti-violence issues. Request a training here, and share this information with any educators you know!
  • Engage on a local level with your community’s schools to defend education for all. There are leadership opportunities for parents, including joining the school board, and you can call or write to your local superintendent to show your support—here’s where you can find the contact information for NYC superintendents at elementary, middle, and high schools.
  • Attend and share info about our free LGBTQ Legal Clinics focused on immigration, ID and document change and more.
  • Sign up for AVP’s Speaker’s Bureau and add your story to the resistance!
  • Call your senator at (877) 959-6082 and continue to tell them not to confirm Jeff Sessions as Attorney General. Tweet at your senator using the hashtag #StopSessions.
  • Report LGBTQ or HIV-related violence that you experience or witness online or to AVP’s 24-hour English/Spanish hotline at (212) 714-1141.
  • Forward this email to a friend. Ask them to sign up for the AVP Action Brief to stay informed and activated, too.

Further reading:
Salon: Donald Trump’s Presidency is a Grave Threat to LGBT Students and Betsy DeVos is Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Washington Blade: Despite Concern Over Anti-LGBT Donations, DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary
NPR: Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary

AVP Learns of an Anti-Gay Incident in Jamaica, Queens

February 2, 2017

AVP has learned of an anti-gay incident which occurred in Jamaica Queens at the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer subway station on Saturday, January 14, 2017.  According to media reports, a 27-year-old man was called an anti-gay slur and then assaulted by a stranger while he was exiting the station. The survivor was treated for his injuries at Jamaica hospital and then released.

AVP has reached out to Make the Road New York, the office of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, the office of New York City Councilmember I. Daneek Miller, the office of Public Advocate Letitia James, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the Queens 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 Jamaica 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.

SUPPORT AVP’S WORK TO MAKE THE CITY SAFER FOR LGBTQ AND HIV-AFFECTED NEW YORKERS

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