Anti-Violence Project - Equality Virginia

Equality Virginia
403 N. Robinson Street
Richmond, VA 23220
804.643.4816

Take The Survey!EVEF's Anti-Violence Project has launched a statewide survey about issues related to violence against and within the LGBTQ community. Spend a few minutes and take the AVP survey today. Click here.

For more information write to avp@equalityvirginia.org

Our Mission:

The Anti-Violence Project (AVP) is an Equality Virginia Education Fund based program that works to address and end violence in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people across the Commonwealth.

Our History:

The AVP came to fruition through the dedicated and deliberate work of members of the LGBTQ² (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning) Task Force at the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. "The LGBT Task Force was created in November 2003 to support LGBT organizations, domestic violence programs, and sexual assault crisis centers in Virginia to better outreach and serve LGBT individuals who are experiencing interpersonal violence through outreach, training and education. The goals of the LGBT Task Force are to increase the visibility of LGBT individuals who are experiencing intimate partner violence through building collaborations with LGBT organizations in Virginia and to provide training in each region of Virginia for domestic violence, sexual assault, and LGBT service providers." (www.vsdvalliance.org)

Members from this Task Force started discussing the potential for a statewide Anti-Violence Project that would specifically engage the LGBTQ communities across the Commonwealth. In 2006, after much debate, a committee formed to apply for funding to staff this project.

Dyana Mason and Equality Virginia welcomed the project in the midst of a hectic amendment campaign, moving forward with the grant proposal. Virginia's AVP was successfully funded through a grant from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and staffed in February 2007.

While this project originated in the context of a sexual and intimate partner violence related task force, the recognition of the impact of hate-motivated violence against LGBTQ communities has spurred this project to widen its scope and understand the links between hate violence and other forms of violence experienced in LGBTQ communities. The Anti-Violence Project is very much committed to addressing the impact of all forms of violence on our communities, noting the connections and the distinctions, and working proactively to organize around a vision of a violence-free culture.

The Anti-Violence Project is a member of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (www.ncavp.org).

Our Future:

The Anti-Violence Project is currently conducting a community survey. This survey focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ individuals across the Commonwealth with issues of sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, hate crime violence, harassment, and discrimination. We are also developing training and educational materials for community members and service providers.

We will be hosting events across Virginia to discuss violence in the lives of LGBTQ people and working towards building a community capacity to address and end such violence.

The Anti-Violence Project seeks to increase community capacity to respond to violence through education and awareness campaigns across the Commonwealth. We hope to work with local LGBTQ organizations and community leaders to increase the effectiveness of community response to hate violence, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and bullying and harassment. The Anti-Violence Project works to build a community where violence is not tolerated and where loving, equitable, and accountable relationships are supported.

How You Can Participate:

Host an event in your area
Take the AVP Community Survey today : Click HerePut a link to our survey on your website
Send a link to our survey in an email to your friends
Volunteer at a literature table at Pride or elsewhere
Let us know of anti-violence work in your community