Hate-based violence is not new, nor are threats to our community. But data shows that a specific type of threat towards LGBTQ people is growing and requires a community-led strategy to solve. In the wake of the shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and countless threats against LGBTQ people and places, now is the time to take action to protect our safe spaces.
To help our communities face these challenges together, AVP is launching the LGBTQ Safe Spaces Protection Project, a nationwide effort to identify needs and shift resources and policy to ensure our Safe Spaces have the tools to navigate the current crisis and survive far into the future.
The reality is that many LGBTQ organizations are under-resourced, underfunded, and unprepared to face this growing security threat. And collectively, LGBTQ people have always been able to find ways to stay safe in the face of harm. So, AVP has partnered with Strength in Numbers to develop the LGBTQ Safe Spaces Protection Project, beginning with a Needs Assessment Survey, which launched on December 13.
βWe always believe that centering those most affected by violence is how we develop impactful solutions to keep our communities safe,β says AVP Executive Director Beverly Tillery. βWe think this initiative is the first time that LGBTQ organizations, business owners, and other LGBTQ-focused groups nationwide have ever been asked about the threats they face or how they can best be protected. Now is the time to ask those questions and get the answers we need before more lives are lost or communities are harmed.β
