Community United Against Violence (CUAV)

The goal of Community United Against Violence (CUAV) is to build the power of LGBTQQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning) communities to transform violence and oppression.

CUAV began as the nation's first LGBTQQ anti-violence organization in 1979. The organization's early focus on addressing hate crimes was expanded five years later to include intimate partner violence. CUAV works to prevent and respond to violence through peer-based counseling, direct assistance, education and outreach, grassroots organizing, and policy advocacy.

CUAV has developed and launched three primary strategies to effectively intervene in and transform violence: Safety Team, Safetyfest, and Safety Labs. Safety Team works to establish a growing and thriving base of LGBTQQ people with the skills to transform interpersonal, institutional, and state violence. Safetyfest was established as a way to share the violence prevention skills that already exist in the community through various workshops, performance sessions, and celebrations. Safety Labs are a space that is provided for the community to practice the core skills necessary for responding to harm.

The mission of Community United Against Violence is to prevent and respond to violence against and within LGBTQQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning) communities.

In 2010, Community United Against Violence trained 40 new members for their Safety Team, hosted nearly 300 people at various Safetyfest activities, and reached almost 200 people through the Safety Labs.