We Stand Together launch event will be held Nov. 30 at YWCA
What: We Stand Together, a citywide initiative being sponsored by the Southern Arizona Hate Crimes Task Force to encourage and equip Tucsonans to stand up against bigotry and prejudice, is being launched at a community forum this week. More than 200 attendees will receive basic training on how to safely respond when they see harassment, verbal assault or a hate crime happening. Speakers will share personal stories of how they have been impacted by bigotry, prejudice-driven harassment and hate crime here in Tucson. Those who attend will also be invited to join the We Stand Together network, which will provide places of safety and shelter throughout Tucson for those who are victims of harassment or assault. More than 50 individuals and businesses have already joined the network and an additional 250 are expected to join within the first few weeks of the campaign.
When: The We Stand Together launch event will be held on Wed, Nov. 30 from 6:30-8 p.m.
Where: YWCA’s Frances McClelland Community Center, 525 N. Bonita Ave., Tucson 85745
Who: Speakers at the launch event will include: Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild • Bryan Davis, ED, Jewish History Museum • Kelly Fryer, CEO, YWCA • Debi Chess-Mabie, ED, Tucson-Pima County Arts Foundation • Adam Ragan, Associate Director of LGBTQ Initiatives, Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. Grassroots community members representing diverse groups will also speak. The Nov. 30 launch event is being co-sponsored by Southern Arizona Hate Crimes Task Force, Jewish History Museum, YWCA Southern Arizona, Women’s Resource Center (UA), Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, Planned Parenthood Arizona and Pantsuit Nation-Tucson Chapter. This event is free and open to the public.
The Southern Arizona Hate Crimes Task Force has been reactivated, in response to recent events, to track incidents of prejudice-driven harassment and hate crime, build alliances across diverse communities and with law enforcement, and equip people to safely respond when they witness harassment or a hate crime. The task force is hosted by YWCA and is currently co-chaired by YWCA CEO Kelly Fryer and Bryan Davis, who is executive director of the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust History Center, which is committed to illuminating contemporary human rights abuses
