Speculation about the proximity of the incident to the area where an assault and attempted robbery of gay men took place and whether this past event was in any way related to this mornings stabbing and attempted robbery, has proved to be misplaced and the events are unrelated.

However if any individuals from the gay community were in the vicinity of the assault at approximately 3am, the AVP is urging them to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 with information. AVP can assist in supporting people contact police.

Further information from the updated information about this incident on Victoria Police News is available by clicking here.

Any people who were in the vicinity of the incident and have any information that could assist police in their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Gay and Lesbian Liaison police.

If any of us have issues about going directly to police and want assistance, the Anti-Violence Project and our volunteers are there to be supports to enable this to take place or ensure the information is exchanged. Visit our online violence reporting service (click tab at the top of this page) or click here!

Further information about this assault and robbery will be updated here.

In the meantime, visit report in the Southern Star newspaper by Andie Noonan (22 July 2010) by clicking here.

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!

VicHealth’s Todd Harper, VEOHRC’s Helen Szoke, former Olympic swimmer Daniel Kawalski, who recently came-out about his sexuality to himself and the community and Gary Eade, Jason Akermanis’ coach, all participated in the launch before Caroline Symons took to the stage.

Check out “Come Out To Play”, a collaboration between Victoria University and Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria though this link to the GLHV portal.

A reminder that Doug will be comparing the Equal Love rally at the State Library of Victoria, Swanston Street, Melbourne this Saturday 15 May at 1pm… we’re giving Doug time to develop his great personal ‘game plan’s to tackle homophobia and transphobia. See Doug’s plan at StopHomophobiaToday.com

In the early hours of Monday 25 January, a young man was assaulted and then slashed with a box-cutter or similar implement while taking a short-cut from Alma Road, East St Kilda, through Alma Park while making his way to Chapel Street.

Three men approached the victim using homophobic language before and during a physical assault. Demands were made for money. When the victim indicated he didn’t have any money for them, one man then slashed the right arm and leg of the victim with a box cutter inflicting 3cm deep gashes. The lead offender then threated to slash the man’s face. The victim managed to break free and made his way to a Coles Express on Dandenong Road – part of the service station immediately North of the park – where he sought assistance.

One of multiple possible witnesses to the assault waited for police at the service station and has provided valuable information to police. The victim of this assault spent 4 days in the Alfred Hospital for his serious injuries and is now recovering.

Further information: these three perpetrators were seen within the vicinity of the park for some considerable time using torches and making homophobic comments to other men in the park, and in some instances chasing these other men. To-date, no information has been received from anyone else who saw these three men, witnessed their behaviour, can describe them or was even threatened or victimised by them prior to the serious assault taking place.

MORE INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO ENABLE THESE MEN TO BE APPREHENDED BEFORE FURTHER AND POSSIBLY MORE SERIOUS ATTACKS TAKE PLACE.

IF YOU PERSONALLY KNOW ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SERIOUS ASSAULT OR OTHER INCIDENTS PLEASE CONTACT CRIME-STOPPERS 1800 333 000. THE ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT CAN SUPPORT YOU IN MAKING CONTACT WITH POLICE.

Daniel’s website www.thatssogay.com.au is a great resource that will keep you up to date about the national tour and his book. He even has a detailed, downloadable tour calendar and ideas on how best to get involved and other promotional materials. Even more details about how to register in local areas will come online at the start of February.

You can also find Daniel through his Facebook Group for the tour – put ‘thats so gay tour’ in the search function.

For more information please contact:-
Daniel Witthaus
Beyond ‘That’s So Gay’
A National Challenging Homophobia Tour
web: www.thatssogay.com.auphone: +61 (0) 431 157 957

“This new Act of Parliament amends the Sentencing Act 1991 to require that a court must have regard to a motivation of hatred or prejudice against a group of people in sentencing an offender”, said AVP head Greg Adkins.

“On behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community we congratulate Attorney General Rob Hulls on his continued support and advocacy with these latest legal reforms.

“The new Sentencing Amendment Act 2009 draws a line in the sand in our Victorian community to say that crime based on race, religion, gender or orientation won’t be tolerated and ensures that judges take into account during sentencing whether hatred or prejudice motivated the crime.

“This provides greater protection to all of us, gay or straight, those of us who enjoy ethnically and faith diverse lives, supporting our right to live and enjoy a diverse community where we can openly celebrate our sexual orientation, gender, culture, heritage or religion, knowing that under law any attack motivated by hatred or prejudice against these attributes deserves punishment for the hate or prejudice motivation alone.

“There are two steps that now must be taken – firstly the LGBT community must continue to respond to the AVP’s “Call-to-Action” on the reporting of hate and prejudice motivated violence and report each and every incident directly to police or through supportive processes like the AVP’s on-line reporting service at http://antiviolence.info .

“Every time LGBT individuals witness violence, whether its directed towards us or towards people of different races or faiths in the broader community, we have a responsibility to get on the phone and call the police”, Adkins said.

“The second step is that cultural change, underway within Victoria Police, which is working to eliminate a long history of indifference towards hate and bias motivated crime against gays and lesbians, has to continue with support of all levels of Victoria Police and must succeed”.