Press Releases

New York— The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) will hold a Press Conference on at 2pm today at 1 Police Plaza about a bias-motivated attack of Josh Williams, Ben Collins, and Antonio Maenza, three openly gay men in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn on Sunday, June 2nd by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers. The survivors reported that they were walking past the 79th Precinct when an NYPD officer accused one of the men, a person of color, of public urination and attacked him, throwing him against a police car. The officer was joined by other officers who also attacked the man, throwing him to the ground and pepper spraying him while he was in handcuffs. The survivor was handcuffed tightly, causing lacerations. The survivor's injuries were treated at a hospital, where he was again restrained with wrist and ankle cuffs. The group of officers also arrested the other two survivors. During the attack the survivors have reported that a NYPD officer used the anti-gay slur "faggot." AVP has obtained video of the assault from the survivors, which can be viewed here.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) will hold a Press Conference on Tuesday, June 11th at 2 pm in response to a bias-motivated assault of Josh Williams, Ben Collins, and Antonio Maenza, three openly gay men in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn on Sunday, June 3rd by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers. The survivors reported that they were walking past the 79th Precinct when an NYPD officer accused one of the men of public urination and attacked him, throwing him against a police car. The officer was joined by other officers who also attacked the man, throwing him to the ground and pepper spraying him while he was in handcuffs. The survivor was handcuffed tightly, causing lacerations. The survivor's injuries were treated at a hospital, where he was again restrained with wrist and ankle cuffs. The group of officers also arrested the other two survivors. AVP has obtained video of the assault from the survivors, which can be viewed here.

The New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) strongly supports the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (A.4226/S.195), a bill that will protect all New Yorkers from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression in areas like employment, housing, education, and public accommodations. AVP believes this protection is critical to both address the pervasive and brutal bias and violence that LGBTQ people face and to begin to end the culture of transphobia that underlies the violence we see all too commonly in TGNC communities.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) is deeply concerned about a recent homicide that occurred in Clark, New Jersey this weekend. Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, an internet celebrity also known as "Kai the Hitchhiker," was arrested yesterday in a Philadelphia bus station in connection to the homicide of a well-known New Jersey lawyer, Joseph Galfy, Jr. According to media reports, the two met in New York City's Times Square on Saturday, May 11th before returning to Galfy's Clark, New Jersey home. Galfy was found on Monday in his home, he had been beaten to death and was only partially clothed. According to media reports, on Tuesday, a day after Galfy's body was discovered, McGillvary indicated on Facebook that he had been drugged and raped.

Good evening, name is Tasha Amezcua and I work at the New York City Anti-Violence Project in our Community Organizing and Public Advocacy department. AVP provides free and confidential services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and HIV-affected people who have experienced hate violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and institutional violence. We also organize and build campaigns to prevent and respond to violence in our communities.

Today we are talking specifically about two recent attacks of gay men that happened in Midtown, but we also speak to the experiences of all LGBTQ and HIV-affected people who have experienced violence, or are at risk for experiencing violence.