M E D I A   R E L E A S E For Immediate Release November 9, 2005 Ninth Annual Awards Gala, Kicks Off 25th Anniversary for Anti-Violence Project As Outgoing Executive Director Accepts Award for Service, New Executive Director Announced New York – Monday night the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project hosted its ninth annual Courage Awards at the spectacular Gotham Hall in Midtown Manhattan. As in prior years, the organization selected a number of outstanding individuals, community-based organizations and companies deserving of special recognition for their leadership, “courage,” and service on behalf of the City’s lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and HIV-affected communities, and particularly on behalf of victims of violence. The Courage Awards is the Anti-Violence Project's largest fundraising event, attracting 450 attendees. This year's event was also the most successful fundraiser in Anti-Violence Project history, raising $315,000. Monday night's honorees were Deutsche Bank, the international banking giant with a significant history of support for the Anti-Violence Project's programs, New York State Senator Tom Duane and New York State Assembly Member Deborah Glick respectively the first openly gay and lesbian members of their legislative bodies and tremendous supporters of the Anti-Violence Project for the organization's history, community partner Safe Horizon, the nation's largest crime victims assistance and advocacy organization and a collaborative partner of the Anti-Violence Project, and Richard Haymes, the agency's former Executive Director, who recently stepped down after seven years at the organization's helm. In addition to the honorees, special guests included actors Julianne Moore, who presented a toast celebrating the organization's 25th anniversary and BD Wong, who hosted much of the evening, and WABC-TV’s Sam Champion, who also hosted. One highlight of the evening's activities was the announcement that Clarence Patton, had been appointed Executive Director and after his remarks, he presented Richard Haymes with a Courage Award for Community Leadership in a touching public passing of the torch for the organization. This year's Courage Awards attracted generous support from a number of prominent corporations, organizations and media outlets including Altria, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Deutsche Bank, Mercedes-Benz USA, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the Gill Foundation, Bank of America, Dewey Ballantine, People of Color in Crisis, Safe Horizon, Basil Walter Architects, and WABC-TV. As noted above, the 2005 Courage Awards marked the official kick-off of a year of Anti-Violence Project activities, programs and initiatives celebrating and/or tied to the agency's 25th anniversary. The Anti-Violence Project was founded 25 years ago as a community response to a number of hate-motivated incidents targeting gay men in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood and the ineffective and at times inappropriate law enforcement response to those incidents. Today, the Anti-Violence Project is the nation's largest victims' assistance organization serving lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and HIV-affected victims of violence, has a professional staff of over 20, a direct impact on the entire Downstate region, provides support and technical assistance to communities statewide, and heads national efforts to create services for LGTB victims of violence. The event was produced by Cathy McNamara Inc. (CMI). 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).