M E D I A   R E L E A S E For Immediate Release October 25, 2002 Anti-Violence Activists Call on Community to Help Counter Planned Phelps Protest at Funeral of Slain Transgender Teen Hate-Mongering Minister and His Followers Have Already Begun Harassing Victim's Family New York – Representatives from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) today pleaded with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community members, as well as members of the mainstream community to show their support for the family and friends of Gwen Araujo in the face of planned protests by the Reverend Fred Phelps at Araujo's funeral. Gwen Araujo was murdered on October 3rd after acquaintances at a party learned that she was a transgender woman, she was beaten, tied up and strangled. Her body was then driven 150 miles into the Sierra Nevada Mountains and buried in a shallow grave. Fred Phelps is a notorious hate-monger who has picketed the funerals of those – particularly lesbian, gay and transgender people – he feels are going to hell. He and his family have flown into the Bay Area from their Kansas home-base and begun harassing Araujo's family. Yesterday, Sylvia Guerrero was met by 23 pickets holding signs and spewing hateful chants when she arrived at her home. "Those of use who stand for social justice and against hate violence must show the world that we vastly outnumber the Fred Phelps's of the world," said Clarence Patton, NCAVP's Acting Executive Director. "Many in the community here have responded both to Gwen's murder and Phelps' presence with anger, organization and a renewed commitment to fight against hate," said Jennifer Rakowski, an NCAVP Board member and Associate Director of Community United Against Violence (CUAV), a lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender anti-violence organization in San Francisco. "For example, students from the surrounding community have scheduled a march at 4:00PM from the Fremont BART station to a local school. In San Francisco, we'll be holding a press conference at 6:00PM followed by a candlelight vigil at the LGBT community center. The vigil will be followed by a speak-out and "And the Movement Continues..." a fundraising concert and wake CUAV is producing. We implore everyone in the community to do what they can to show their support for Gwen's family and friends," concluded Rakowski. Viewing and funeral service are being will be held for Gwen Araujo Friday, October 25 at 11:00AM and 2:00PM respectively in Newark, California. 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.