Call for Artists: LGBTQ Survivors of Sexual Violence

by: quillin

I am excited to announce this wonderful opportunity for the LGBTQ communities across Virginia. The Virginia Anti-Violence Project is working in collaboration with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance to bring the Art of Surviving Exhibit to the Gay Community Center of Richmond. The exhibit will be shown this July and August.

We are encouraging LGBTQ survivors of all forms of sexual violence to submit pieces of art related to their experience or healing to the Art of Surviving. While the Art of Surviving project is accepting pieces in general, if you would like your piece displayed in the Gay Community Center show please submit all artwork by May 31, 2009.

We are currently developing programming related to art and healing in LGBTQ communities to be held at the community center during the show. If you are interested in participating in or helping create an event, please contact Quillin Drew at info@virginiaavp.org to discuss your ideas. Additionally, please help us get the word far and wide by forwarding this email and posting the attached flyer wherever you can.

Perhaps there are folks who have experienced other forms of violence and have created or would like to create art related to those experiences. While the Art of Surviving is specifically related to sexual violence, the Virginia Anti-Violence Project is interested in collecting pieces from LGBTQ survivors of intimate partner violence, bullying, state-sanctioned violence, stalking and hate violence not including sexual assault. If you have any questions about the distinction being made, please contact Quillin to discuss.

The VAVP and the VSDVAA look forward to creating a dynamic show and series of events to bring light to issues of violence in our LGBTQ communities. Your help in spreading the word is appreciated.

Moving Along after Creating Change

by: quillin

I am delighted to be back in Virginia with new resources, connections and spirit for moving forward with the work of the Virginia Anti-Violence Project. While at Creating Change in Denver last week, I was able to reconnect with comrades from across the South, with radical queers from all over and with other members of the NCAVP family. Strategizing about reframing our movement for queer liberation and even reframing the way we work as organizations and communities occupied a lot of the dialogues during the week.

The Virginia Anti-Violence Project has a unique opportunity to build coalitions with many diverse organizations and collectives in order to be the best agents for change that we can be. VAVP is currently organizing its structure and drafting its vision for our work. I am excited about our process and commitment to accountability to our LGBTQ communities.

I hope that many of you will consider getting more involved as time goes by. You can sign up to join our email list and receive a monthly newsletter and other updates as necessary. You can support the work of the VAVP through a financial gift, through volunteering and through sharing your personal story of survival to break the silence in our communities.

Later this month we should have information ready about the process to join the VAVP board. If you are interested in participating in this capacity or on one of our several committees, send an email to info@virginiaavp.org so that we can follow-up with you.

This is a wonderful time to be organizing for community, solidarity and liberation of LGBTQ people in Virginia and beyond and I hope you'll join us!

Creating Change Workshop Handouts

This post is specifically for sharing information with people who attended or who wanted to attend the workshop at Creating Change called "How to Create and AVP to Respond to Anti-LGBTQ Violence" by Melissa Pope and Quillin Drew. The historical timeline can be seen by clicking here. And the handout for the discussion about the nuts and bolts of building an AVP with a little NCAVP history tossed can be seen by clicking here. I appreciate your interest! If the links aren't working send me an email at info@virginiaavp.org and I'll get them to you.