November 15, 2023
This Transgender Awareness Month, we uplift the release of ‘Afterlives: The Layleen Polanco Story,” a new iHeart podcast about the life and untimely death of Afro-Latine trans woman, Layleen Polanco. In 2019, Layleen died while being held at the notorious Rikers Island in solitary confinement, despite known mental and physical health issues. On June 7th, 2019, Layleen suffered an epileptic seizure while in confinement and was rendere[...]
Read More
October 31, 2023
In New York, specific laws govern whether or not an arrest is required in cases of reports family crimes related to of intimate partner violence. Often, an arrest may be required depending on the charge. Because of the dynamics of LGBTQ+ relationships, it may not be obvious who is a survivor and who is doing harm. This lack of clarity can result in misarrest, revictimization and other potential challenges for survivors. In this panel discussio[...]
Read More
October 25, 2023
The annual event was held for the second year at the Tribeca Rooftop in Manhattan. AVP honored Qween Jean, Cameron Esposito, Our Lady J and the LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces of New York City. Courage Awards is AVP’s signature gala event honoring trailblazers in community who are using their power and platform to make change in our world. This year’s honorees have worked tirelessly to uplift the voices of our most marginalized siblings, such [...]
Read More
October 19, 2023
Hate crimes against LGBTQ people increased since last year according to new FBI data. Bias crimes motivated by sexual orientation and gender identity were up in 2022 over last year, representing one fifth of total hate crimes tracked by the FBI. Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Beverly Tillery, responds: “This data reflects the sad reality our communities have known this past year[...]
Read More
October 17, 2023
Cameron Esposito, Qween Jean and Our Lady J are trailblazers and changemakers for LGBTQ+ community who will be honored this year at AVP’s Courage Awards in New York. (New York) The New York City Anti-Violence Project, the nation’s largest anti-violence organization dedicated to LGBTQ+ survivors of violence, is proud to announce this year’s honorees for its annual Courage Awards celebration. The 2023 Courage Awards will be held on[...]
Read More
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[...]
Read More
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[...]
Read More
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-[...]
Read More
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 [...]
Read More
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[...]
Read More
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[...]
Read More
May 31, 2023
Victoria “Miss Vickie” Cruz is a living legend and a well-known part of AVP history. Miss Vickie, a self-identified Stonewall veteran, broke a lot of barriers, including being the first transgender woman of color to receive the National Crime Victim Service Award from then-Attorney General Eric Holder. Miss Vickie supported survivors of all forms of violence, including intimate partner violence Her work helping survivors of hate violence whi[...]
Read More
