New York – Representatives from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project announced today that members of its five-year old New York State Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Domestic Violence Network have been approved for $375,000 in funding from the New York State Assembly.
This is the first funding package of its kind secured with the Anti-Violence Project as the lead leveraging agency. Anti-Violence Project staff, Network members and Assemblymember Danny O'Donnell have been working on the funding package for more than two years.
Once disbursed, a total of fourteen agencies across the state, all members of the Network that the Anti-Violence Project coordinates, will receive grants to support services and programming for LGBTQ victims of domestic violence.
"We are absolutely committed to expanding LGBTQ domestic violence service capacity not only here in New York City, but also around the state," said Clarence Patton, the Anti-Violence Project's Executive Director.
"We long ago recognized the fact that for a number of reasons many LGBTQ victims of domestic violence in New York City might not use us as their first point of entry to services, and further that we did not have the resources to serve LGBTQ victims across the state," said Clarence Patton, the Anti-Violence Project's Executive Director.
"Therefore, it was in the best interest of our community to ensure that the larger domestic violence service structure in New York State had the training and capacity to working effectively with lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and people of transgender experience. That was the genesis of the Statewide Domestic Violence Network five years ago, and this funding represents only part of the extraordinary work done by the Network and its members since its inception," Patton continued.
"We are also incredibly grateful for the tireless work of Assemblymember O'Donnell, as well as Assembly Speaker Silver and the sixteen other assemblymembers who support this effort" added Patton.
"Of course, since we initially began this process our Network has grown, and we'll be looking at how to maintain support for the current list of grantees as well as provide for newer programs that the Network has helped develop around the state," said Patton.
Recipients of funding this year include: The Advocacy Center (Ithaca), Alternatives for Battered Women (Rochester), Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley (Rochester), Empire Justice Center (Rochester), In Our Own Voices (Albany), LGBT DV Committee of Western NY (Buffalo), Men of Color Health Awareness Program (Rochester/Buffalo), The Anti-Violence Project (New York City), NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Safe Homes Project (Brooklyn), Rockland Family Shelter, Safe Horizon (New York City), Vera House (Syracuse), and Victim Assistance Services (Westchester).
Legislators supporting this year's funding include: Danny O'Donnell (New York), Speaker Sheldon Silver, James Brennan (Kings), Joan Millman (Kings), Deborah Glick (New York), J. Gary Pretlow (Westchester), Adam Bradley (Westchester), Sandy Galef (Westchester/Putnam), Richard Brodsky (Westchester), Kenneth Zebrowski (Rockland), John McEneny (Albany), Joan Christensen (Onondaga), Barbara Lifton (Cortland/Tompkins), Susan John (Monroe), Joseph Morelle (Monroe), Crystal Peoples (Erie), Sam Hoyt (Erie).
The Anti-Violence Project is the nation's largest service agency for victims of bias crimes against the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. Since 1980, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for tens of thousands of survivors of domestic and bias-motivated violence, rape and sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP documents incidents of violence against and within LGTB communities, educates the public about the effects of violence, against or within our communities, and works to reform public policies impacting all lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected people.
The Anti-Violence Project provides free and confidential assistance to crime victims through its 24-hour bilingual hotline (212-714-1141).