FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:
November 19, 2007

LOCAL CONTACT:
Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO)
614 294 7867 or 614 578 1689
Gloria McCauley, Executive Director

NATIONAL CONTACT:
Clarence Patton, Acting Executive Director (NCAVP)
212 714 1184 or 347 683 0020

FBI Releases 2006 Hate Crimes Statistics

According to Federal Statistics,
Anti-Lesbian, Gay and Bixexual
Hate Crimes Up 18%

New York - Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released statistics on hate crimes across the nation. The data contains information on 7,722 hate crimes submitted by local law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The report included information on 1,195 incidents in which the perpetrators - motivating factor was the victims - actual or perceived sexual orientation an 18% increase in such incidents from the FBI's 2005 report.

The proportion of all hate crimes of all types that were motivated by actual or perceived sexual orientation was 15%, up only a small margin from the 14% of incidents that were so motivated by sexual orientation in 2005.

As in years past, the FBI statistics on anti-lesbian, gay and bisexual incidents (the FBI does not collect statistics on anti-transgender violence) continue to fall far short of the number of incidents tracked in the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs - (NCAVP) own annual report on hate violence, which recorded 1,393 incidents in only twelve regions across the nation - more than half of which involved criminal offenses.

Clarence Patton, Executive Director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, an NCAVP member organization stated, "It appears that some improvement has been made in some areas of law enforcement collection of hate crime data and reporting that data to the FBI; however, we are concerned, particularly when looking at the dramatic increase in the number of anti-lesbian, gay and bisexual incidents reported - though the overall number of reports captured by the FBI rose only 8%, the number of reports impacting our communities rose at more than twice that rate."

"We are also continually disappointed in the overall lack of real data on hate violence and hate crimes," continued Patton. "Obviously, NCAVP and its members have far fewer resources than the federal government, but year after year we consistently report more, and more detailed information on hate crimes against LGBT people. It is essential that all of us - community advocates, service providers, and law enforcement - work together to address this issue; we can start by requiring that all law enforcement agencies submit data on hate crimes. None of us even have a solid picture of the scope of the problem, but we can all agree that it's much worse than what's borne out in either our statistics or certainly the FBI's data," added Patton.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs addresses the pervasive problem of violence committed against and within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive communities. NCAVP is a coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBT and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other forms of victimization. Further, NCAVP supports existing anti-violence organizations and emerging local programs in their efforts to document and prevent such violence.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:
October 31, 2007

CONTACT:
Gloria McCauley
614 294 7867, 1 866 86-BRAVO, or TransOhio@wowway.com

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil Announced

Columbus, Ohio - Local and statewide organizations announce the 9th Annual Transgender Day of remembrance Vigil. The Transgender Day of Remembrance is held in November each year to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgender, each was a victim of violence based on bias or prejudice against transgender people. The list of deaths available at http://www.rememberingourdead.org only contains those deaths known to the transgender community or that have been reported to the media. The Day of Remembrance is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder kicked off the "Remembering Our Dead" web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester's murder - like most anti-transgender murder cases - has yet to be solved.

This year's vigil will take place on Monday, November 19, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at King Avenue United Methodist Church, located at 299 King Avenue.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance is intended to raise public awareness of hate crimes against transgender people, an action that current media doesn't perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of transgender people who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance gives transgender people and their allies a chance to step forward and stand in vigil, memorializing those who have died by anti-transgender violence.

Sponsors of this year's event are: Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO),OSU GLBTSS: The Multi-Cultural Center, TransOhio, Equality Ohio, PFLAG-Columbus, Gender Dysphoria Program of Central Ohio, Stonewall Columbus, The Crystal Club, Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC), Speak OUT, King Avenue United Methodist Church, and Delaware Gay Straight Christian Alliance.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:
July 17, 2007

LOCAL CONTACT:
Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO)
614 294 7867
Gloria McCauley, Executive Director
Gary Heath, Domestic Violence Program Coordinator

NATIONAL CONTACT:
Clarence Patton, Acting Executive Director (NCAVP)
212 714 1184 or 347 683 0020
Kim Fountain, New York City AVP Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy
212 714 1184 or 347 678 0002

NCAVP Releases 2006 Report on
Domestic Violence

Report Includes Local Statistics
from BRAVO

Report provides unique snapshot of intimate partner violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

New York - The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP), an LGBT-specific network of community-based organizations, released its Annual Report on Domestic Violence within Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Communities in the United States.  The 43 page report compiled by the New York -based coalition includes data regarding over 3,000 individuals who experienced domestic violence.  Fourteen of 33 NCAVP member programs contributed to this year's report.  Participating regions include Tucson, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Colorado; Chicago, IL; Massachusetts, Minnesota; Kansas City, MO; New York, NY; Columbus, OH; Pennsylvania; and Houston, TX.

Major findings:
There were 3,534 reported incidents of domestic violence affecting LGBT individuals in 2006, a decrease of 15% over incidents recorded in the 2005 report. However, this decrease does not necessarily indicate that LGBT domestic violence is declining.  Numerous factors influence whether or not a victim of domestic violence will seek help through an organization or a hotline, including visibility of the local organization, fears on the part of the victim of being "outed," and fear of bringing shame to ones family or community.  Additionally, individual organizational capacity and ability to participate in this report shift somewhat from year to year which could also account for the numerical difference.

Demographically, the report found that most organizations receive about equal numbers of reports from gay male and lesbian victims of domestic violence.  Reports from people of transgender experience typically hover around 5-10% of the total.  Race or ethnic identity of victims was also documented in the report.   White victims accounted for 43% of all reports, followed by Latino/a victims (27%) and African American victims (15%).   Multi-racial identified victims accounted for 7%, Asian/Pacific Islanders accounted for 3%.  Indigenous, and people Middle-Eastern descent accounted for about 2% each.  Reporting national trends with regard to race or ethnicity is somewhat difficult, however, because individual organizations varied tremendously in their absolute percentages of DV reports from various cultural communities.  Please see the report for a more detailed breakdown of race, gender, age, and sexual orientation demographics.

Locally, Buckeye Region Anti-Violence Organization (BRAVO) received 43 reports of domestic violence. In 2006, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender survivors reported increasing levels of violence by their perpetrators and an increased use of weapons when attacked. Fourteen percent (14%) of survivors reported they had been sexually assaulted as well. BRAVO also saw increased reporting by transgender individuals than in previous years. This year five transgender women (M-F) (12%) reported incidences of intimate partner violence (IPV).

Lack of access to domestic violence shelters continues to be an ongoing concern for LGBT people in Ohio. Additionally, the 2004 Ohio anti-gay marriage amendment has caused much apprehension and confusion in the LGBT communities regarding the issuance of and access to civil and criminal orders of protection.

NCAVP members compiled additional statistical information, such as rates of weapons use in a domestic violence incident, police involvement, and police misconduct.   Police were involved in about 26% of all reported cases for 2006.  Of those, about 8% reported police misconduct (defined as verbal or physical abuse, and/or the use of anti-LGBT slurs).

In addition to the quantitative information, the NCAVP report also includes personal narratives from LGBT survivors reporting from various regions, as well as a directory of local NCAVP member programs, an overview of academic studies conducted on LGBT domestic violence, and recommendations for changes to end discrimination and re-victimization of LGBT people who experience domestic violence.

Clarence Patton, Executive Director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project emphasized the importance of this report.  "In a changing political climate where issues like hate violence legislation and the gay marriage debate are routinely making headlines, we must ensure that the voices of survivors and victims of violence within our communities are heard.  Pressure to keep silent about violence within ones relationship can be overwhelming and LGBT inclusive services are still hard to come by.

"This report is an important step in breaking that silence and contributing to a world where LGBT communities and our allies support each other, not only in eliminating discrimination against our communities in domestic violence services, but in eliminating domestic violence itself," concluded Patton.

The full report can be downloaded at www.ncavp.org.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs addresses the pervasive problem of violence committed against and within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive communities. NCAVP is a coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBT and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other forms of victimization. Further, NCAVP supports existing anti-violence organizations and emerging local programs in their efforts to document and prevent such violence.

BRAVO works to eliminate violence perpetrated on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identification, domestic violence, and sexual assault through prevention, education, advocacy, violence documentation, and survivor services, both within and on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE:
March 07, 2007

LOCAL CONTACT:
Gloria McCauley
614 294 7867 or 614 578 1689

CONTACT:
Clarence Patton
212 714 1184 or 347 683 0020

Annual Report on Anti-LGBT
Hate Violence Released

Prior Year's Decline Following Record Increases Slowed Dramatically in 2006; Many Midwestern Communities Still Hit Hard by Rising Violence

Coalition Says Intransigence of Issue Underscores Need for Legislative and Other Solutions to Hate Violence

New York Today, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) and fifteen of its members across the country released their annual report on violence against lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and transgender individuals. The 70-page report examines data compiled from almost 1,500 hate-related incidents in twelve cities, states and regions across the country including: the Chicago area; Columbus, Ohio; Colorado; Houston, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Massachusetts; Minnesota; the New York City area; Pennsylvania; the San Francisco Bay area; and Vermont. Additional information was included from Long Island; New York; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Tucson, Arizona.

NCAVPs report is t he most complete examination of hate violence against LGBT people. Each year, the FBI publishes its own report on hate crimes, which includes anti-LGBT incidents, but it consistently contains information on far fewer cases than the NCAVP publication because it relies solely on law enforcement reports of such crimes rather than victim service organization data, a deficiency recently cited in a publication released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January 2006.

Overall, NCAVPs report noted a 3% decrease in reported incidents of anti-LGBT violence. Such incidents fell from 1,440 in 2005 to 1,393 in 2006. Despite the small and statistically insignificant decline in incident reports, a number of regions - primarily in the nation's midsection - showed increases in anti-LGBT violence. Those regions included: Chicago (+76%), Kansas City (+17%) and Michigan (+54%). While Columbus, Ohio did not report an increase in incidents, it registered a mere 1% decrease in reports. The one Midwestern location to report a significant decline in incidents was Minnesota where reported incidents fell 25%. Another leader in increased anti-LGBT violence this year was Colorado, which saw reports increase 105%. Facto rs contributing to the dramatic rise there included highly charged, simultaneous and opposing defense of marriage and domestic partnership campaigns. Additionally, an increase in staff capacity at CAVP allowed for better tracking of incidents throughout the reporting period.

Despite the decline in incidents overall for the year, there was a 22% increase in anti-LGBT homicides reported attributable to increases in Colorado, Michigan, New York, and San Francisco.

Positively, this year's report shows that the number of actual victims and offenders declined at a much greater rate than incidents. Victims impacted by anti-LGBT violence fell by 9%, while the number of offenders fell 13%.

"What we saw in 2006 was a slowing of the substantial decline our report showed in 2005," said Clarence Patton, NCAVP's Acting Executive Director. "After the historic spikes in reports in 2003 and 2004 we had hoped that reports of incidents could only go down, which they did, by 13% in regions participating in our 2005 report, but from the data in this year's report there is an indication that we may be reaching a plateau in the rate of anti-LGBT violence; and in part, this plateau may be some reflection of the ever growing strength of NCAVP and its member organizations and their efforts to provide education and prevention strategies to such key groups as community members, law enforcement, and service providers," said Patton.

According to NCAVP, the last two editions of its report show that in relatively quiet years for the LGBT community such as 2005 and 2006, reports of anti-LGBT violence can decline - at times substantially. However, in this instance that decline comes after dramatic increases in anti-LGBT hate incidents noted by the Coalition in 2003 and 2004 as the nation grappled with significant victories and defeats for LGBT people such as the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Lawrence v. Texas, the granting of same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts, anti-same-sex marriage ballot initiatives in numerous states, the Presidential and Congressional threat of a federal marriage amendment, and the demonization of the LGBT community and families during the 2004 election cycle. For instance, after risin! g only 3% in the first six months of 2003, reports of anti-LGBT violence to NCAVP member organizations jumped 26% after the Lawrence decision and the Massachusetts marriage debate. Reports rose another 4% in NCAVP's report on anti-LGBT violence in 2004.

"Despite the overall decrease in reported incidents, we are truly concerned about the increases in reports last year seen through much of the Midwest; as we know many of those states were battlegrounds in the anti-same-sex marriage efforts over the past several years, and those ongoing increases in violence against LGBT people are likely the ongoing impacts of those efforts and the environment they help create," added Patton.

"We know that legislation addressing hate crimes can open the door to more attention to the issue at local, state and federal levels. It can also allow for more comprehensive responses and strategies to mitigate such violence among law enforcement, service providers and community leaders. Therefore the passage last week of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA) in the House of Representatives is an important victory in the move toward addressing hate crimes - particularly those impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people - from a national perspective," concluded Patton.

The data in the report is submitted to NCAVP for analysis and derived from a common intake tool NCAVPs members utilize when directly serving victims of violence at their agencies, which are primarily, local LGBT victim service organizations.

PDF versions of the 2006 Report, its Executive Summary, data sets in PDF, as well as previous editions of NCAVPs reports on hate-motivated and domestic violence are available here.

For additional or regional contact information, call 212 714 1184.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) addresses the pervasive problem of violence committed against and within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and HIV-positive communities. NCAVP is a coalition of programs that document and advocate for victims of anti-LGBT and anti-HIV/AIDS violence/harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, police misconduct and other forms of victimization. NCAVP is dedicated to creating a national response to the violence plaguing these communities. Further, NCAVP supports existing anti-violence organizations and emerging local programs in their efforts to document and prevent such violence.

BRAVOs mission is to eliminate violence perpetrated on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identification, domestic violence and sexual assault through prevention, education, advocacy, violence documentation and survivor services, both within and on behalf of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities.