M E D I A   R E L E A S E For Immediate Release August 9, 2005 Chelsea, Flatlands and Crown Heights Incidents Point to Ongoing Problem of Hate Violence in the City Anti-Violence Project Calls for September Summit on Hate Faced by LGTB and Other Communities New York – After the hate-motivated assault on two gay men in Chelsea late Saturday night, an attack on an African-American man that same evening, the August 1 attack on a Hasidic man in Crown Heights, and other recent incidents targeting the City's LGTB and other communities, the New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project has called for a citywide summit on hate violence. "We can talk about whether or not hate crimes are up or down, but I think that in reality, that is all beside the point," said Clarence Patton, the Anti-Violence Project's Acting Executive Director. "The real issue is that we have a problem here in the City, and the question we should all be asking and looking for answers to is: 'what will any of us in the community do,'" Patton added. "From our perspective, it is essential that stakeholders in and leaders on this issue: community-based organizations, political and religious leaders, and law enforcement officials sit down and compare notes on what they're seeing, hearing and doing and then go out into the community together to talk about this issue comprehensively," said Patton. "All of us engage in parts of the response, and it is past time for us to put those parts together and act as one." Patton said that the Anti-Violence Project will be organizing a Citywide Summit on Hate Violence, and indicated that ideally representatives from the City's LGTB community, leaders from all of the City’s religious, ethnic and racial groups, as well as law enforcement, and political and community leaders would participate. "No one should be left out of this effort; this is a community problem that is not any one group's issue, but is the responsibility of everyone; to that end, in the coming weeks we'll be reaching out to our peer organizations around the city as well as other community and religious leaders and groups beyond those we've already been in contact with to make this happen," concluded Patton. The date for the Summit is set for September 20, 2005. According to the Anti-Violence Project, on average, the organization receives a call about a new anti-LGTB incident every 12 hours, and a call about a new anti-LGTB assault every 36 hours. In 2004, AVP served over 2,000 victims of violence. AVP’s annual reports on hate and domestic violence can be accessed online at www.avp.org. The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation's largest service agency for victims of bias crimes against the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For nearly twenty-five years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence as well as for survivors of domestic 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. AVP provides free and confidential assistance to crime victims through our 24-hour bilingual hotline (212-714-1141).