A coalition of Queens residents, activists, and neighborhood organizations have launched a campaign to educate their communities about the harmful effects of homophobia.  The campaign builds on prior efforts to promote respect for diversity in schools and on the streets, which has been reignited in response to the October 9th attack of openly gay 49 year-old, Jack Price, by two men outside of a convenience store in College Point.

On Friday, October 16th, members of the coalition will kick off their efforts to educate young people by engaging in conversations with students outside of Flushing High School, located at 35-01 Union Street in Flushing at 3pm.  Flushing High School is the closest high school to the scene of the attack.

“Intense violence against LGBT people like Jack Price is not an aberration. It’s a mainstream problem rooted in ignorance and fear and largely perpetrated by the young.  As such, it needs a mainstream and educational remedy,” says organizer Marisa Ragonese, Director of Queens Community House’s Generation Q, an Astoria-based drop-in center for LGBT youth.

The coalition continues to call for a large-scale and long-term educational campaign in schools, a strengthening of the Chancellor’s new Regulations to include an educational component, the passing of the state bill for the Dignity For All Students Act, and the Federal Hate Crimes Act of 1998. 

“All day in school, you hear about how gay everything is—from too much homework to anything else kids decide is stupid,” says Wes Ruiz, a 16 year-old Generation Q program participant.

Friday’s identity-based assault follows an unsettling trend in New York City’s most diverse borough, where hate crimes have abounded in recent years.

“Once again an LGBT person in Queens has been attacked simply because of who he is.  This has happened too often in the last few years and decisive action needs to be taken to prevent future attacks—from the murder of Julio Rivera in 1990 to Steen Fenrich in 2000 to Edward Garzon in 2001.  Not to mention all the survivors—some known, others we’ll never know about,” says Danny Dromm, openly-gay Democratic Candidate for City Council District 25.

On Saturday, October 17th at 2pm, supporters will march down College Point Boulevard from 20th Avenue to 14th Avenue and rally at nearby Popenhusen playground to protest homophobia and celebrate diversity.

These events are endorsed by: Generation Q/Queens Community House, the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, St. Pat’s for All Parade, Astorians United Against Hate Crimes, Gay Peruvians, the Long Island City Alliance, the Queens Gay and Lesbian Democratic Committee, Las Buenas Amigas, Out Astoria, Integrity NYC, Western Queens for Marriage Equality, the Anti Violence Project, the Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, the International Socialist Organization, Carmen’s Place, the New York Civil Liberties Union, Project Reach, and Make the Road NY, the Price Family and Speaker Christine Quinn.