June 15, 2010
June is Pride month, a time of great celebration for our communities, but also a time where the reports of violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) communities historically increase. So far this month alone:
- A knife-wielding man making anti-gay remarks in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, harassed two men.
- The Ali Forney Center’s shelter for homeless LGBT youth in Astoria, Queens was defaced with anti-gay graffiti.
- The retrial of Keith Phoenix, one of two men charged with committing a hate crime in the murder of Jose Sucuzhañay, began. Phoenix’s first trial ended in a mistrial as the jury could not decide between a charge of manslaughter or murder as a hate crime, and jury selection for the new trial has brought hate crimes to the forefront of discussion and debate.
- A memo from the Justice Department reached the press indicating that cases of same-sex domestic violence and stalking should be prosecuted the same as in heterosexual couples.
The more visible we are, the more vulnerable we are to anti-LGBTQ bias and hate. Even in New York, a city historically considered more LGBTQ friendly than other places in the nation and world, our communities live with a disproportionate amount of fear that we will be targeted just for being ourselves and living our lives. This hate violence is meant to send a message of fear and intimidation to the LGBTQ communities and AVP stands with our communities to say we are proud of who we are and we will not tolerate this violence.
AVP encourages you to be especially aware of your surroundings this month—and always— and to report any anti-LGBTQ bias, including hate speech and physical violence, to our 24-hour bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at 212-714-1141 where you can speak with a trained counselor and seek the support you need. In addition, AVP has also introduced a new secure online form for reporting anti-LGBTQ bias incidents that you have experienced or witnessed.
Sincerely,
Sharon Stapel
Executive Director, Anti Violence Project
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