Celebrating courage

Access to education and employment and a baseline of comfort and security are essential for a fulfilling life. Yet these are not guaranteed for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) young people, who face increased obstacles at school and in their communities as they try to pursue their aspirations.

This is especially true for young LGBTQ people of color, who face high rates of homelessness, violence, lack of employment and other barriers to being safe and open about who they are. Many young LGBTQ people of color live in neighborhoods where positive messages and information about resources are scarce.

We’re partnering with the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) on an educational outreach program that gives LGBTQ youth a chance to see themselves in a positive, affirming light and provides information about AVP’s free education and counseling services. The outreach program targets diverse, underserved New York City neighborhoods with high rates of reported violence against LGBTQ young people.

At the center of our partnership with AVP is an ad campaign (see images above), the first of its kind by a financial services company. The campaign profiles five extraordinary young people who volunteer with AVP and represent the resilience and fortitude of young LGBTQ New Yorkers. The ads celebrate these individuals’ courage and bring their stories to mainstream attention. They raise awareness of the importance of inclusion so that all young people are able to develop their innate ambition and talent.

The ads ran in phone kiosks and bus shelters in these neighborhoods:

AVP also distributed palm cards in these same neighborhoods. The cards reinforce the ads with campaign imagery and feature important safety tips regarding violence and bystander intervention.

avp.org

“At AVP, we come together to build survivor-led, community-based solutions to end violence in, and against, LGBTQ communities. These community leaders are creating a safer New York City for all of us, just by being themselves”
Shelby Chestnut, Co-Director of Community Organizing and Public Advocacy, AVP

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Deutsche Bank has a longstanding partnership with AVP and the organization is widely embraced among the Bank’s employees. In 2013, employees in the Americas voted to award the regional Deutsche Bank Volunteer Award to Scott Hernandez, a colleague in New York City, for his involvement with AVP, which received a financial donation from the Bank as part of the prize.