M E D I A   R E L E A S E


For Immediate Release

June 19, 2001

ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT WARNS COMMUNITY AGAINST COMPLACENCY AS MURDER TRIAL BEGINS AND CALLS NYPD TO TASK FOR LACK OF BIAS CLASSIFICATION

New York - Representatives from the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP), and transgender and lesbian and gay community advocacy groups joined elected officials today outside the courthouse at 100 Centre Street where the trial of the three men accused of participating in the June 2000 murder of Amanda Milan, a transgender woman began jury selection this morning.

AVP's executive director, issued a plea to the community to pay close attention to the trial, "We anticipate that the defense will use every available means to discredit the victim and witnesses in this case, and that those efforts will include attempts to raise both homophobic and transphobic reactions on the part of the jury."

"We are very concerned that once again, the community will believe that because this case seems so simple, justice will be served and there is no danger that McCuller, Celestine and Anderson will be acquitted." "Again and again we see defendants acquitted in cases that were thought to be 'cut-and-dried' because despite what most of us would like to believe, homophobic and transphobic defenses still work in New York City."

"Just one year ago, members of the community sat and watched in horror as Eric Carolina was acquitted after being tried for the murder of Fitzroy Green; we have no doubt that Carolina's defense, which incorporated both homosexual panic and transphobia led to that acquittal, even though Carolina had clearly murdered Green."

"Adding insult to murder in this case is the fact that the NYPD continues to hold that Amanda Milan's murder was not at all due to anti-transgender bias on the part of McCuller and possibly Celestine," said Clarence Patton, AVP's Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy. "For a year, we have been satisfied that the police have had quite enough evidence that the simple altercation that led to Amanda's murder would not have escalated to that point, had Amanda been almost anything other than a transgender woman," continued Patton. "We are calling on the NYPD to do their part in issuing justice for Amanda and call this murder what it was: hate-motivated," concluded Patton.

The New York City Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is the nation's largest crime-victim service agency for the lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, and HIV-affected communities. For twenty years, AVP has provided counseling and advocacy for thousands of victims of bias-motivated violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, HIV-related violence, and police misconduct. AVP educates the public about 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).