July 20, 2022
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. After his arrest during Occupy Wall Street in 2011, justin adkins found AVP to help with his lawsuit against the City in an effort to combat transphobia. Teaming up with AVP gave justin a chance to take on unjust practices within the criminal legal system. “I'm a white trans guy, and I'm very aware of those privileges…. I pursued because I had the privilege to do so. And th[...]
July 11, 2022
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. Judy and Dennis Shepard have dedicated their lives to the work of ending hatred-based violence, by turning their own grief into action. The work to end violence is a long road. The Shepards joked about continuing to put off retirement due to the continued need for vigilance. After losing their son, Matthew Shepard, to anti-gay hate violence, the Shepards found numerous organizati[...]
June 29, 2022
The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) was honored to celebrate and commemorate our movement for LGBTQ liberation with our siblings, friends, and supporters at this past weekend's Pride marches and festival. As we end Pride Month, we recognize and hold space for the continued heightened threat of violence facing our community that will last long after the rainbow flags come down. Just one week before we marched and gathered in Manhattan[...]
June 24, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Cindi Creager, CreagerCole Communications (646) 279-4559, cindi@creagercole.com Orie Givens, Director of Communications, AVP (614) 571-5131, ogivens@avp.org New York, NY – The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) strongly denounces the Supreme Court ruling that has overturned Roe v. Wade. Statement from AVP Executive Director, Beverly Tillery: “This decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a direct assa[...]
June 21, 2022
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. Jasmine’s enthusiasm and passion for educating and organizing marginalized people is infectious. To hear her talk about her work, you can’t help but want to get involved. “I'm not an introvert. I love engaging people,” Jasmine said. “There's not a stranger I haven't met. You know?” Jasmine used her ability to engage others as an organizer, canvasser, ed[...]
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. Council Member Helen Rosenthal served District 6 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for eight years. During that time she served on a variety of committees devoted to gender equity and partnered with organizations to support women and people of all genders. Her work with AVP included efforts to improve the treatment of LGBTQ people in domestic violence (DV) shelters. We spoke w[...]
June 8, 2022
Join AVP’s Community-Led Safety Campaign During Pride Season! To our Beloved AVP Community, This Pride Season we’re excited to launch Our Pride, Our Safety, a new campaign to spotlight violence affecting our most vulnerable and build awareness about the importance of community-led safety. Incidents of violence, including police violence, continue to disproportionately impact our community, especially those who are BIPOC and/or transgen[...]
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. David Wertheimer was the first Executive Director of AVP. Steering AVP during the AIDS crisis and beyond, David took inspiration from his trade union organizer parents. Trying to hold perpetrators accountable for queer-bashing in the eighties was a difficult endeavor at a time when getting recognition in the press was a rare feat. “It was pretty intense because it was also the same t[...]
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. Richard Haymes, one of AVP’s previous Executive Directors, didn’t always consider himself an activist. His work at AVP spanned a variety of programs and initiatives including working with LGBTQ+ survivors and victims of 9/11. Richard worked to stay flexible and create new avenues for change and advocacy at AVP. Making sure everyone at AVP had a voice and the ability to openly tal[...]
This interview has been shortened and condensed for clarity. Imara Jones’ work as an AVP board member and journalist are steeped in the power of narrative to confront violence. From her work as a documentarian to her work as a podcaster, Imara has leveraged the ability of stories to create empathy and change. “I think because violence is one of the biggest challenges that our community faces, and violence in all its forms, I think that the w[...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 8th, 2022 Contact: Cindi Creager, CreagerCole Communications (646) 279-4559, cindi@creagercole.com Orie Givens, AVP Director of Communications (614) 571-5131, ogivens@avp.org New York City Anti-Violence Project Launches “Our Pride, Our Safety” Campaign During Pride Season 2022 Initiative Aims to Spotlight Violence that Disproportionately Impacts Marginalized LGBTQ Communities and Build Awareness [...]
May 17, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Cindi Creager, CreagerCole Communications (646) 279-4559, cindi@creagercole.com New York, NY – The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) joins LGBTQ movement leaders across the nation in expressing our profound grief over the loss of Urvashi Vaid. Statement from AVP Executive Director, Beverly Tillery: “Urvashi Vaid was a towering figure in the fight to secure equal protections for LGBTQ peop[...]
