[OutVoice] Anti-Violence March This Saturday in NYC!

[RJOrich13 at aol.com]

 Anti-Violence March This Saturday in NYC!

Saturday, June 10, 12:30 AM - East Village, Manhattan
On his way home, Kevin Aviance is brutally attacked by a group of men yelling 
anti-gay slurs

Saturday, June 10, 1:10 AM - Astoria, Queens
A group of three friends are attacked by a larger group yelling anti-gay and 
racist epithets and wielding a baseball bat

Sunday, June 11, 5:45 AM - Astoria, Queens
A man is followed off of an "N" train by another man who harassed him with 
anti-gay language, pushed him down elevated platform exit stairs to the street, 
and kicked and punched repeatedly.

Make your voice heard...
...we will not be targeted even as we celebrate our History, our Pride and 
our Survival...

March and Rally this Saturday
Raise Our Voices Against Anti-LGTB Hate
in Our City and in Our Neighborhoods

When: Saturday, June 17

Where: Gather at NE Corner of 14th Street and First Avenue at 2PM; march at 
3PM to Christopher Park (Christopher & West 4th Streets)

Stand up and be counted Saturday...but anti-LGTB hate happens all year 
long...
...what you will do to help stop anti-LGTB hate and help those who fall 
victim to it after the March is over...
Community Partners in this Effort include: the NYC Gay & Lesbian 
Anti-Violence Project, Daniel Dromm, Empire State Pride Agenda, Gay and Lesbian Alliance 
Against Defamation, Gay Men of African Descent, Hedda Lettuce, Lambda 
Independent Democrats of Brooklyn, the Latino Commission on AIDS, Manhattan Borough 
President Scott Stringer, mano a mano, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 
New York State Black Gay Network, NYC Council Member Rosie Mendez, NYC Council 
Speaker Christine Quinn, NYS Assembly Member Deborah Glick, NYS Assembly 
Member Sylvia Friedman, NYS Senator Tom Duane, People of Color in Crisis, Unity 
Fellowship Church of Christ, list in formation
Safety Tips
Please note that none of the following is a guarantee of safety, they're only 
tips that can be helpful:
1. Be aware of your surroundings
Who's around you?
What are they doing?
Are they paying attention to you?


2. Try not to travel alone:
Traveling in groups can sometimes (but by no means always) dissuade likely 
attackers. Hate violence perpetrators are cowards and there are almost always 
more of them than there are of you.


3. Don't let your guard down just because you're in a "queer" area:
About 25% of anti-LGTB incidents in the New York area happen in places that 
we think of as being "safe" for our community: in or around bars, nightclubs or 
LGTB institutions, streets in LGTB-identified areas of the city, and cruising 
areas.


4. What to do if you are the victim of an incident:
If you need immediate assistance, call 911
Report the incident to the Anti-Violence Project at: 212-714-1141; our 
counselors and volunteers are here to help you 24 hours a day. All services are free 
and confidential.


5. What to do if you witness an incident:
Call 911 if someone is in immediate danger.
Make it clear to 911 what the danger is; this may make the difference in 
getting a quicker response.
Call the Anti-Violence Project's 24-hour, bilingual hotline (212-714-1141) to 
let them know what you've seen.
If you speak with the victim(s), share the Anti-Violence Projects hotline 
number and encourage them to call the Anti-Violence Project. There are probably 
supports and services that can help them pay medical bills, get free support 
and other services.