The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) is deeply concerned about a recent homicide that occurred in Clark, New Jersey last weekend.
Caleb Lawrence McGillvary, an internet celebrity also known as "Kai the Hitchhiker," was arrested yesterday in a Philadelphia bus station in connection to the homicide of a well-known New Jersey lawyer, Joseph Galfy, Jr.
According to media reports, the two met in New York City's Times Square on Saturday, May 11 before returning to Galfy's Clark, New Jersey home. Galfy was found on Monday in his home, he had been beaten to death and was only partially clothed. According to media reports, on Tuesday, a day after Galfy's body was discovered, McGillvary indicated on Facebook that he had been drugged and raped.
"This incident is complicated, and we do not have all the answers about what happened, but we do know that this looks very much like the hook-up violence we are seeing in our work," said Sharon Stapel, executive firector of the New York City Anti-Violence Project which coordinates NCAVP. "We know there is a need for LGBTQ-specific and mainstream community-based organizations to develop programs and campaigns to increase public awareness of hook-up violence, and intimate partner violence affecting our communities. We also want all LGBTQ people to have the information they need to stay safe." The New York City Anti-Violence Project's Online Dating and Hook-Up Safety Tips can be found online here.
NCAVP's 2011 report on intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ and HIV-affected communities documented 19 intimate partner violence (IPV) homicides, the highest yearly total ever recorded by the coalition and more than three times the 6 documented homicides in 2010. Of the 19 homicide victims, a majority (63.2%) of IPV homicide victims were men.
NCAVP has reached out to Garden State Equality, which is currently looking into this potential homicide, and to Hudson Pride Connections Center to raise awareness of this potential homicide and to offer support to the local communities affected by this violence. "Based on the current information that we have, this seems like this potential homicide could be connected to hook-up and online dating violence," said Jeffrey Campbell, Executive Director, on behalf of Hudson Pride Connections Center. "We know that in all communities, but specifically in the gay male community, online and phone app dating and hook-up sites have become part of our culture. It is key for our communities to institute safe guards and prevent violence when using the Internet and phone apps to hook-up and date."
NCAVP is a resource for anyone who experiences violence. For more information, or to locate an anti-violence program in your area, please contact us at info@ncavp.org or visit us online. Join NCAVP in our efforts to prevent and respond to LGBTQ and HIV-affected people. To learn more about our national advocacy and receive technical assistance or support, contact us at info@ncavp.org .
If you are a member of the media, please contact: Sue Yacka, syacka@avp.org or (212)714-1184.
