The activist group Queer Rising had announced a rally against the recent spate of hate crimes against gay men in New York City. It it planned for Thursday evening from 7 pm till 9:30 pm at the corner of 7th Avenue and W. 33rd street outside Madison Square Garden, near where the assaults took place.

QUEER RISING — a grassroots organization created to demand full equality for all queer people through nonviolent direct action — invites ALL members of the LGBTQ community and our allies to STAND TOGETHER in a RALLIED RESPONSE to the DUAL HATE-CRIMES that occurred in Midtown NYC on May 5 (outside Madison Square Garden) and May 10 (outside the W.34th St PATH Station).

JOIN THE RALLY: On Thursday May 16, beginning at 7:00pm, Queer Rising and members of the public will rally outside Madison Square Garden (specifically the SW-corner of 7th Avenue and W.33rd Street), demanding attention be paid to the protection of all New Yorkers on MSG vicinity during games, and to denounce any violence against the LGBTQ community. At 8:15pm, a short-list of participating community leaders with speak.

JOIN THE MARCH: After the Rally, we will march through Chelsea, going south along 8th Avenue, ending at Horatio Street/Jackson Square Park.

WHAT TO BRING: Posters declaring your position on anti-violence, safety on the streets, or the Knicks and MSG's responsibility to denounce anti-gay violence.

ATTENTION: At Madison Square Garden, we will be face-to-face with individuals who may share the same mind-set as the May 5th attackers. Therefore, it is IMPERATIVE that we DO NOT provoke anyone. We will simply be providing information (via flyers and posters) to Knicks fans, informing them of the incident and our demands for safety.