Fenway pairs with BPD on LGBT safety

This summer Fenway Community Health's Violence Recovery Program (VRP) and the Boston Police Department (BPD) are teaming up to launch a new public awareness campaign urging people to take precautions when meeting people in bars, online and in other venues. Beginning June 12 Fenway outreach workers will begin distributing posters in LGBT bars and clubs giving people tips on staying safe, and later this summer Fenway and BPD will roll out a pamphlet with more detailed safety information. The launch of the poster campaign was timed to coincide with Boston Pride.

"It's not by any means a scare tactic. ... It's really to remind people to keep an eye out for each other, to be more aware of their surroundings when they're out meeting people," said Amanda Escamilla, a victim advocate at the VRP.

She said the VRP regularly gets calls from people who report date rape or hook-ups that turned violent, and during one of the VRP's regular meetings with BPD's Community Disorders Unit, which handles hate crime incidents, VRP staff suggested the collaboration. Elaine Driscoll, spokesperson for the Boston Police Department, said launching the campaign at Pride seemed the most effective way to reach people with the prevention messages.

"The timing did seem appropriate after a lot of conversations with the wonderful individuals at Fenway Health. It seemed like the appropriate time to put out information where we felt like we would have people's attention," said Driscoll.

The poster features the tag line "We're in this together" and includes safety tips.

"It essentially provides some information for individuals who are going out at night, reminding people if you're going out alone and maybe you've met someone via the Internet, tell someone where you're headed. ... If you're out, keep a close eye on your drink and don't turn your back to it. Really what they are are tips to empower people not to become a victim," said Driscoll.