Some members of the gay and lesbian community witnessed the assault and were encouraged to provide information to police by the AVP.

Police report that the men have all surrendered themselves after seeing themselves following media coverage of the incident.

Four of the five men involved in the assault have been interviewed over the past five days.

Malvern Police interviewed the first man, an 18-year-old from Frankston North after he surrendered himself to police at the Frankston Police Station on Friday 3 September.

An 18-year-old from Carrum Downs was arrested and interviewed on Sunday 5 September and two 15-year-old’s from Frankston North and Carrum Downs were interviewed on Tuesday 7 September.

A 17-year-old from Carrum Downs is expected to be interviewed by police in the coming days.

All five men have co-operated with police and assisted with enquiries.

They are expected to be charged on summons for assault related charges at a later date.

Victoria Police say that as a result of media coverage, a large number of witnesses also identified themselves and Police wish to thank the public and media for their assistance.

Coming-up – Volunteer Training for the Anti-Violence Project

SESSION ONE – Thursday 16th September – 6pm to 4pm
Level 10, 225 Bourke Street

Topics: AVP operations, development and history – relationships with Gay and Lesbian Liaison police – violence reporting and the upcoming expansion of AVP activity – role-plays and scenarios.

SESSION TWO:- Sunday 19th September – 1pm to 4pm
Level 10, 225 Bourke Street

Topic: Rolling Round Table – a range of GLBT community orgs with direct relevance to the AVP and the issues GLBT individuals have surrounding violence, will join the panel of volunteers in a conversation of the relationship their organisation has with the community and these issues. We’ll also explore the existing connections we have as organisations and envision future relationship potentials.

The aim of these two training sessions is to broaden the trainees view of AVP and its role, expand understanding of GLBT community, the other organisations that work alongside us and increase an awareness of the issues driving these organisations. Additionally we seek to “spark” the interest of our new volunteers encouraging them to think “outside the box” when addressing violence through the state-wide peak GLBT organisation, the AVP.

For more information please contact Greg Adkins

NOMINATED FOR MOST OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY CAMPAIGN OR INITIATIVE.

Anti Violence Project – for four areas of activity in 2010:-
*Playing a part of the Australian Football League Campaign (developed by AFL Players Association’s Dr Pippa Grange and Rob Mitchell);
*The “Out and Safe” Campaign (partnership between Cr Jane Garrett, Mayor of Yarra, the AVP, the Victorian Gay & Lesbian Rights Lobby, Victoria Police Gay & Lesbian Liaison Unit and Officers, local health services and businesses in the City of Moreland);
*Stop Homophobia Today and *IDAHO (led state-wide by AVP with primary partners Victoria Police GLLOs, the {also} Foundation, TransGender Victoria, JOY 94.9, Country Awareness Network (CAN), Way-Out, Family Planning Victoria and Yak, the Attorney General Rob Hulls, the VEOHRC, and many more individuals, groups and organisations from all parts of the state).

NOMINATED FOR GLHV AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING HEALTH INITIATIVE

Anti-Violence Project was nominated for “IDAHO 2010 – Speaking About Silence – Homophobia in Sports and Community”

NOMINATED FOR ACTIVIST OF THE YEAR

AVP Executive Director, Greg Adkins was nominated in this category.

(The {also} Awards take place on Monday 28 June 2010, 7:30pm at the National Theatre in St Kilda)

Click here to check it out!

Check-out http:/StopHomophobiaToday.com for the details on how to create YOUR “game-plan”, thoughts on how others put theirs into practice, and suggestions on how to “pass it on” to others.

You’ve probably guessed from the sporting analogies that this years theme encompasses one of the hardest aspects of homophobia to shift in society… “Speaking about Silence – Homophobia in Sport & Community”.

Heaps of individuals and groups are developing their “game-plans” and will upload videos talking about them. Many more are creating messages and photos. These will also be uploaded, as part of individual “game-plans”, and all will show how homophobia is about to be challenged, and challenged BIG TIME in the State of Victoria, Australia!

Check-out the many activities already underway or planned in the lead-up to IDAHO on May 17th and in the weeks and months beyond. Follow the link to the archive of last years IDAHO 2009 campaign here in Victoria, care of the National Library of Australia and the State Library of Victoria. See who our partners are for this year’s 2010 IDAHO (ourselves and many of our partners would be only too happy to accept offers of people wanting to volunteer or become involved in IDAHO or many of our ongoing activities). Get the telephone numbers and email addresses to contact us and perhaps even make a donation to help extend the scope of IDAHO activities in 2010.

All of this and more, by visiting Stop Homophobia Today!

The AVP will review this important guide with a view to contextualise it for the community here in Victoria. If you want to be part of the review process contact the AVP by clicking here or call 0407664442.

Located only a few minutes from Flinders Street Station, this is a perfect opportunity to discuss your experiences of violence, to volunteer or get involved in AVP activities or to register your interest in playing a part in the 2010 International Day Against Homophobia activities occurring throughout Victoria between now and May 17th.

Gay and Lesbian Liaison Officers from Victoria Police will be on hand.

2009 has been an excellent year in Victoria where we have moved forward in addressing homophobia the resulting hate and prejudice motivated crime that comes from homophobia. This year great partnerships have been strengthened between GLBT community organisations and between us and government – both local and state.

Even stronger partnerships have been forged with the other communities who also experience hate-crime. While the motivations there are based on cultural or faith differences, the similarities between hate-crime based on sexuality or gender orientation are strong.

Now is an excellent time to reflect that whenever and wherever we see violence occurring, whether it is prejudice motivated or spur-of-the-moment, we should always make a stand and do something. In Australia please call 000 and report violence to the police. In Victoria, when safe, please complete an on-line violence report to us so that we can continue our discussions fully aware of the impact violence has on our lives and in our community. To be silent about violence is the same as sanctioning it.

This coming year, 2010, will see further work take place to identify possible strengthening of laws to address hate-crime in Victoria. The AVP will continue to be a strong partner in the strategy development taking place with the ALSO Foundation and others about how to further address homophobia (for more information about the “With Respect Awareness Project” please contact ALSO’s interim-CEO, Kylie Smith by clicking here)

We are further progressing discussions with government about funding for the AVP to continue its great work with a much more longer-term focus which funding will provide. Work to-date, while significant in its scope and reach, has been vastly limited by the lack of funding.

Once again we would like to ask you to be safe and care for each other during this festive season and thank you for your involvement in our work addressing violence within and against the GLBT community in Victoria.

Greg, Jayne and Lauren,
AVP directors

“We welcome the establishment of Justice Geoffrey Eames’ review of Victoria’s hate-crimes legislation,” said AVP head Greg Adkins, adding that the announcement was a key part of the Brumby government’s continued progressive reform agenda which reinforces recent changes in criminal sentencing.

“This review is a welcome next step, but it’s not the last step by any means.

“Currently all violence and hate-crime reporting services for the LGBT community, outside Victoria Police, are provided without funding by the AVP. Our work supports people experiencing hate and prejudice motivated crime but we are limited by the absence of government funding.

“Outcomes from this review of hate-crime laws must be matched with the provision of an ongoing funding model to sustain the work currently undertaken by AVP volunteers on behalf of the LGBT community.

“Hate-crimes are criminal acts. They can cover a range of offences against the person and can often target an individual’s property. And if one gay man, one lesbian or one transgender individual is a victim of a hate-crime then the State has a responsibility to ensure that every crime is reported, that in each case the perpetrators are brought to justice and future hate-crime is prevented.

“Sadly, hate-crime against the LGBT community is vastly under-reported and research shows that lack of funds limits the way the AVP can engage our community to fully support the reporting of violence, leaving Victoria Police to allocate limited resources responding to a hidden pool of hate and prejudice motivated crime.

“During the 12 year life of Victoria’s AVP we have worked within the community to deal with a wide range of hate-crime including verbal harassment and vilification, intimidation on the streets and in the workplace or at school, threats and property damage and even physical assault and murder. All have been committed due to a bias or prejudice by the perpetrator against us because of our sexual orientation or gender identification.

“This means that perpetrators of hate-crime intentionally choose us as the targets of the crime because of who we are.

“Today’s welcome review announcement by the Attorney General is the opportunity for the GLBT community to submit to Justice Eames that existing law in Victoria must be amended to draw a line in the sand on hate-crime, these amendments identify that crimes motivated by bias or prejudice based on our unique personal sexual orientation and gender characteristics should regarded as higher-end crime, and that increased or additional penalties should be imposed for bias and prejudice motivated crime”.

Adkins said that the GLBT community stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Victorians of other races, languages, faith and religious beliefs, nationalities, ethnicities and disabilities, when it comes to the issue of hate-crime.

“It is our individual attributes that lead some people to target crime against us in a biased way. For far too long a majority of our society and the institutions supporting it, have sat silently on their hands while hate motivated crime impacts people’s lives and the Attorney General’s announcement sets the stage for real outcomes targeting hate-crime.

“We feel very positively that this review will establish benchmark offences and penalties that appropriately reflect the serious nature of bias and hate motivated crimes in our society where we should be equals with people regardless of sexual orientation, gender, race, religion and disability.

The AVP applauded the Attorney General’s direction to review head Justice Eames to have particular regard to the “With Respect” discussion paper and the principles of the Human Rights Charter.

“This review enhances any potential outcomes from the work of the ALSO Foundation, the AVP, the Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby and Transgender Victoria in their partnership taking “With Respect” to the next step, the development of a state-wide homophobic harassment strategy,” Adkins said.

“It also highlights the need for funding of community organisations who are delivering the means of supporting victims of hate and prejudice motivated crime and working to increase the poor current levels of hate-crime reporting.

The AVP looks forward to consulting with Justice Eames at the earlier opportunity during his review