TEL AVIV (JTA) — Israel’s association for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community is launching a center in Tel Aviv to combat anti-gay violence.
The center, which opens Wednesday, will collect data on violence against gays and offer members of the LGBT community legal and psychological support, according to Haaretz. It also will aim to have people available to accompany LGBT individuals who go to report anti-gay crimes to the police.
"Unfortunately, we still undergo difficult experiences of physical and verbal violence in every government institution," Shay Deutsch, chairman of the LGBT association, told Haaretz. "Everywhere, we get complaints from members of the community who suffer from discrimination or humiliating treatment."
The center is opening on the third anniversary of an attack on a gay club in Tel Aviv that left two people dead. The center will be named for Nir Katz, one of the victims. It is expected to cost approximately $100,000 per year to run.
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