PFLAG Takes Action To Pass HR(1913) The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 (H.R. 1913) would add sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability to existing federal hate crimes laws. It would also strengthen enforcement of these laws by allowing the US Department of Justice to assist local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes cases. The bill is identical to the hate crimes legislation passed by the House of Representatives in 2007 and is transgender-inclusive. It was reintroduced on April 2nd, 2009 by Representative John Conyers (D-MI) along with 42 original co-sponsors. When introducing the bill, Representative Conyers stated that "law enforcement authorities and civic leaders have learned that a failure to address the problem of bias crime can cause a seemingly isolated incident to fester into widespread tension that can damage the social fabric of the wider community. Hate Crimes legislation is a constructive and measured response to a problem that continues to plague our nation. These are crimes that shock and shame our national conscience. They should be subject to comprehensive federal law enforcement assistance and prosecution." To weigh in, and voice your support for hate crimes legislation, click here and send a message to your elected representative. Be sure to identify yourself as a PFLAG member, and to specifically ask your elected representative to co-sponsor this legislation. Then, ask your friends, neighbors and family members to email and express their support, too. When you contact your Member of Congress, please remember to highlight some of these important points:

• Current Law is Inadequate. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Hate Crimes statistics, crimes motivated by hate against a person based on their sexual orientation make up the third largest category of hate crimes behind race and religion, and yet current federal hate crimes laws only provide protections based on race, religion and national origin.

• The Bill Honors the First Amendment. The legislation only prohibits criminal actions, and does not include speech. To further ensure that there is no confusion on what the bill covers and does not, an amendment was adopted that explicitly states that conduct protected under the First Amendment – free expression and free exercise clauses – Is not subject to prosecution (this includes religious speech).

• Support for this Bill is Widespread. This legislation has attracted the support of over 210 civil rights, education, religious and civic organizations. Virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country has endorsed the bill – including the International Association of chiefs of police, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Sheriffs Association, the Police Executive Research Forum and 31 state Attorneys General.

Whether you’re a parent, a friend, a family member or LGBT yourself, we know you share our outrage that more than 1,000 hate crimes against LGBT Americans are reported to the FBI each year! It’s an outrage that more than 10 years after the high-profile death of Matthew Shephard, Congress has still not passed federal legislation to help law enforcement properly prosecute these crimes. That’s why it’s time for us to take a stand today. Join PFLAG in calling on Congress to pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009. The time has come to bring enact this long-overdue law. If you have any questions regarding this information, please be sure to contact us.

Soulforce and MCC in NYC calling on the Vatican!

Soulforce and MCCNY at Vatican Embassy from mcc nyc on Vimeo.

SPRING 2009 CATHOLIC ACTION

Please join us this spring in calling on the Vatican to support the safety and well being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. We are working to gain support from the Roman Catholic Church for the United Nations Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Download the text of the declaration
Read some of the actions and statements of the Roman Catholic Church

You can join the growing group of local leaders organizing solidarity actions where they live. We will work with you to support efforts in your hometown. All are welcome at any experience level. If you are interested in being a local leader or a participant, click here for a list of participating cities, ideas for action and contact information.

With questions or feedback about the campaign, please contact:Haven Herrin at Haven@Soulforce.org or Kara Speltz at Kara@Soulforce.org

Soulforce.org

New Hampshire Senate Democrats DISCRACE AMERICA No Hope for Granite State Transgender Bill

By Kelli Anne Busey April 24, 2009

Toilet politics revisited in New Hampshire.

Once again the worst of America has surfaced. Cronyism and demagoguery at its worst.

The only thing that angers me more than a civilian who makes a living by lieing about hard working Americans are politicians who use these fear mongers lies to lend credence to bigotry.

The Democrats in New Hampshire's Senate judiciary found a way to slink to a new low and shirked their public responsibilities by lending credence to lies with there public office's.

Transgender people were pleading with the Senate Judiciary Committee, relating horrifying stories of discrimination, only to have the democrates on the committee give credence to the testimony of Kevin Smith's TWO alleged incidences of POTTY politics and effectively throwing away transgender people.

The Judiciary Committee voted unanimously against giving transgender people hope.

********************
Source The Nashua Telegraph "Senate panel nixes transgender bill"

"Kevin Smith of Cornerstone Policy Research, a conservative activist group, disagreed and offered 'media reports' about two incidents in Philadelphia and Maryland."

(Cornerstone apparently was all that the democrates needed to be dissuaded from pursuing justice.)

"Senate Democrats admitted the coordinated campaign from the Republican State Committee and socially conservative groups to label this as the "bathroom bill" condemned its approval this year."

"I think going forward, because it has so much baggage attached to it right now, it is probably best the bill is ITL," said Sen. Beth Reynolds, D-Plymouth, referring to inexpedient to legislate, the equivalent of killing it."


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What media report is Smith offering?

I know of one incident in Maryland when a member of a group fighting transgender rights manufactured a story. Her HUSBAND cross dressed and ran thru the woman's dressing room of an exclusive Gaithersburg health club(where the democrats go) When the absurdity of this ploy was exposed she perjured herself by allowing another person to accept responsibility for that outrage! The club owner herself doubted the validity of her entire story, but the police failed to even show any interest.

Is that the 'Maryland' media report smith is aware of? Is that what the 'baggage' Reynolds and the democrats are throwing away human rights because of?

Throw those lousy democrats out and take the rest of the trash with you.

NGLTF Applauds Passage by House Judiciary Committee of National Hate Crime Bill HR(1913)

MEDIA CONTACT:
Inga Sarda-Sorensen
Director of Communications
(Office) 646.358.1463
(Cell) 202.641.5592

National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund applauds House Judiciary Committee passage of hate crimes legislation


WASHINGTON, April 23 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund applauds the House Judiciary Committee’s passage today of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), which includes a key provision that would expand existing federal hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. The measure has previously passed both chambers on several occasions. The Task Force has a long history in working to secure hate crimes protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Get more details here.

Complete Statement at The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund

By John Wright News Editor
Apr 23, 2009 - 6:54:31 PM


Trans advocate Kelli Busey says some officials still resistant to nondiscrimination despite policy


The Bridge, Dallas’ city-owned homeless shelter, recently put in writing a nondiscrimination policy stating that transgender clients will be housed according to their gender identity and not their biological sex.

But a transgender activist from Dallas who helped initiate the new written policy said she isn’t satisfied with it.

Full story at the Dallas Voice
http://tinyurl.com/cvg8hv

Zapata Family Speaks

Flanked by his sisters, Ashley Zapata, Stephanie Villalobos and Monica Murguia, and his mother, Maria Zapata, Gonzalo Zapata issued a statement about the trial to the media Wednesday. The family did not answer questions.

The statement:

“Angie was my sister.

“She was a member of our family. We loved her very much, and we will miss her every day. Every day and every night our mom has to deal with great pain of ... one of her babies being buried. Every day our siblings and I reach for the phone and realize we’ll never hear her voice. There’s no answer anymore.

“A part of our family is missing, stolen from us. Angie was 18, her life was just beginning. She was brave, she had guts, she had courage, and she was beautiful, fun and loving. She was our little sister.

“Through the last week, we’ve watched as our sister Angie was lied about in court, angrily as the defense presented an image of my sister that wasn’t true. Their strategy of tearing down my sister to make a monster look better will not work.

“It is clear: Angie was our sister, an aunt and a daughter. Life was sometimes difficult for her, and we learned along with her to understand she was born a girl with a body that was wrong for her.

“Above all else, she was honest. It took such courage to be who she was. She was strong, there was no reason to believe my sister was anything but strong and honest with everyone.

“This week, we are deeply saddened as we witnessed graphic details about the last few minutes of my sister’s life. A big brother is supposed to protect his little sister. It breaks my heart to think there was nothing I could do.

“My sisters, Monica and Ashley, when they saw what this monster had done, they wanted to hold her, to comfort her and make her feel better. It was hard to realize nothing could have been done.

“He stole something so precious from us.

“Only a monster can look at a beautiful 18-year-old and beat her to death. This monster not only hit my sister, but continued to beat her head in over and over and over until her head was crushed in. He left her there to die.

“He’ll (never) understand how angry we are at him and how much he has hurt us. This past week and half, we’ve seen attorneys working their hardest to seek justice for my sister. ...

“We are grateful Colorado has tough laws that make it clear that attacking people because of anti-gender bias will be taken seriously. It will be prosecuted aggressively ... in Weld County.

...

“In memory of Angie, we call on Colorado’s leaders to pass a federal hate crime law to protect everyone.

“Justice was achieved. A message was sent loud and clear that crimes target ing LGBT will not be tolerated in Colorado ...

“Remember her as we do, as a beautiful, wonderful, precious teenager. She would want us to remember the happy times in her life. And make the world a better place.

“We will always love you Angie and we will always miss you, mija.

“Thank you!”

Posted on the The Tribune