AVP Hosts Hate Violence Convening

When They Marginalize, We Organize.

The New York City Anti-Violence Project's work supporting and advocating for LGBTQ+ and HIV-affected survivors of violence centers LGBTQ survivors and works to build bridges among communities in New York that experience not just homophobia and transphobia but bias and discrimination based on racism, anti-immigrant sentiments, Islamophobia, antisemitism, pushing back against the institutions, people and mindsets that marginalize us, and works to erase our bodily autonomy and ultimately our existence.

An event over one year in the making, AVP hosted the Hate Violence Prevention Convening on November 7-8th at NYC's The People's Forum. Joined by organizers of varying faiths, and advocacy groups including Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) and The Center for Anti-Violence Education, this two-day convening held space for intentional, difficult and necessary conversations about what it means to be in solidarity with one another, and how we can show up for each other and stand and organize against hate violence.

This interactive convening held panel discussions exploring the disconnect between data and on-the-ground organizing work and developing solutions to get the two in sync, while Community Safety and self-defense stood as the centerpieces of the convening, with Upstander Intervention trainings led by AVP's Community Organizing & Public Advocacy (COPA) team, antisemitism training led by JFREJ, and self-defense workshop by the Center for Anti-Violence Education

In the aftermath of an election that will certainly cause immeasurable impact to our already battle-scarred and infringed-upon bodies and existences, the power of seeing the multiply-marginalized and most vulnerable, who are actively experiencing trauma, refusing to give up on the work our ancestors fought, bled and died for, and breaking bread with one another, remembering who we all are, who we're fighting for and focusing on the root causes and real enemies of our liberation, all while creating tangible plans and tools for our collective safety as we enter a new world led by bigoted, racist, misogynist and climate-denying figures who intend on weaponizing the federal government against our very lives.

The work of anti-violence and organizing is never easy, and with tensions amongst all Americans and immigrants in this country at a high, this convening exemplifies the necessity of welcoming each other to the table, having honest and respectful conversations to and about one another and using those discussions to develop inclusive, intersectional strategies to move us towards the world we all want to live in. Tears were shed, many hugs and smiles were had, but above all, inspiration filled the halls of The People's Forum on these dark days in November.