Community Alerts

The New York City Anti-Violence Project is outraged to hear of yet another violent anti-gay attack, one of them fatal, and the sixth such incident since May 5th. According to Bruce Yelk at Nightlifegay.com, who is a close friend of the survivor, Dan Contarino was attacked last night at Avenue D and 4th Street in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood by an individual shouting anti-gay slurs.

In response to the horrific homicide of a gay man on Friday, May 17th, and the recent spate of other public anti-LGBTQ hate violence, the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) will join the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Bronx LGBTQ Center, GLAAD, Make the Road NY, the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, other community partners, and New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn on Monday, May 20^th at the LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th Street, Manhattan, at 5:30 p.m. to march to West 8th Street and 6th Avenue.  A rally and a speak out will immediately follow the march, where community members, elected officials, LGBTQ community leaders and allies will denounce hate violence and call for community safety.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project is deeply disturbed to hear of a homicide that occurred around midnight last night, May 17^th, in Greenwich Village on 8th Street and 6th Avenue.   According to the NYPD and media reports two gay men were walking down the street when they got into a conflict with two other men and one of the gay men was shot. He later died from the injury.  The NYPD reports that during the conflict the suspect or his companion made anti-gay remarks and has told AVP that the homicide is being investigated as an anti-LGBT bias case.  The NYPD further reports that the suspect is in custody and information about the victim is being withheld until the family is notified.

AVP is working with New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the NYPD and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to further investigate this homicide.  We have also reached out to our community partners in this work.

Today, May 17th, is the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHAT), a day when we honor the survivors and victims of anti-LGBTQ violence while working to prevent future incidents of violence against our communities. Anti-LGBTQ violence is a problem all over the world, and in the last two weeks, here in New York City, we have seen four public incidents of hate violence affecting our communities. We are working to prevent this violence from occurring again – and we want you to join us.

Following three high profile incidents of LGBTQ hate violence in Manhattan last week, AVP has learned of a fourth incident of anti-gay violence, which also occurred last week. On Wednesday, May 8th, a man was exiting Pieces Bar on Christopher Street in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan when he was attacked by two men shouting anti-gay slurs.