The Virginia Anti-Violence Project (VAVP) has learned that 26-year-old Henrico, VA resident, Ava Latae Tucker, was killed in her home on Friday, October 28th, 2016. Ava’s ex-girlfriend has been arrested for the fatal stabbing.
The Virginia Anti-Violence Project would like to express its sincere condolences to Ava’s family, friends, and community. VAVP is deeply saddened to hear of another homicide of someone who identifies within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities. ‘Often, patterns of abuse and violence that are felt in intimate relationships are so hard to name and talk about, particularly in the small, interconnected circles of our diverse LGBTQ family. VAVP is here to provide information, support, and advocacy to LGBTQ Virginians that are fearful and worried about what’s going in their relationships’, says Stacie Vecchietti, Virginia Anti-Violence Project Director.
The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs’ (NCAVP) October 2015 Report on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) documented 1,976 survivors of IPV who reported to 17 NCAVP member organizations from 14 states across the country, including Virginia. People of color made up 77% of the reports of LGBTQ and HIV-affected IPV homicides, and 54% of the total number of survivors who reported to NCAVP members in 2015. Of the 13 IPV-related homicides, six victims were transgender women, four were cisgender men, and three were cisgender women. All six of the transgender women homicide victims were transgender women of color, including four who were black and two who were Latinx.
VAVP hopes that throughout the investigative process, the media, police, and the public at-large, will respect Ava’s identity and maintain a level of decorum and understanding when interacting with Ava’s family and other individuals who identify within diverse LGBTQ+ communities. VAVP will continue to stand in strong solidarity with the family of Ava Latae Tucker and other LGBTQ individuals that have been impacted by violence.
The Virginia Anti-Violence Project works to address and prevent violence within and against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities across Virginia. VAVP offers services for survivors of intimate partner abuse, sexual assault, and stalking, as well as hate/bias motivated harassment and violence. VAVP also has resources to support training and consultation with agencies, community groups, congregations, and other interested organizations. For more information on the <b>Virginia Anti-Violence Project</b> , visit www.virginiaavp.org, email director@virginiaavp.org, or call (804) 925-9242.
If you are LGBTQ+-identified and you have been impacted by violence, you can contact the Virginia LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline via text at (804) 793-9999 or by phone at 1-866-356-6998.