DOCSLIB.ORG

National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General January 25, 2021 The Honorable Gavin Newsom Governor, State of California State Capitol, First Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Governor Newsom, We are writing to you as leaders in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community to respecfully urge you to appoint an openly LGBTQ+ person as California’s next attorney general and to express our strong support for our colleague Rick Chavez Zbur, executive director of Equality California. For decades, we have watched and admired your courageous leadership in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights and deeply appreciate your unwavering commitment to our struggle for full, lived equality. You now have an historic opportunity to appoint California’s first openly LGBTQ+ attorney general and the nation’s first LGBTQ+ person of color to serve as a state attorney general — an action that would forever establish you as one of our community’s greatest allies. LGBTQ+ people are historically underrepresented in elected office, comprising less than 1% of elected officials nationwide, even after significant progress has been made in the last number of elections. This disparity does more than just deprive the LGBTQ+ community of proportional representation in government; it deprives our government of highly qualified leaders whose authentic lived experiences make them empathetic, strategic and solutions-oriented public servants. It deprives LGBTQ+ young people — and their non-LGBTQ+ peers — of role models whose visibility in key government positions makes a powerful statement that LGBTQ+ people belong everywhere. Countless studies and extensive reporting have clearly demonstrated the unfortunate reality that LGBTQ+ people are frequently targeted and harassed by law enforcement, overrepresented in the criminal and juvenile justice systems National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General and particularly vulnerable to abuse and discrimination in correctional facilities. For transgender and gender-nonconforming people and LGBTQ+ people who are Black, Indigenous and people of color, these disparities are particularly devastating. Appointing an openly LGBTQ+ person of color who is both a distinguished attorney and a civil rights leader to serve as California’s top law ​ ​ enforcement officer would send a clear message to LGBTQ+ people throughout California and around the world that the Golden State is committed to correcting these injustices. Since 2014, many of us have had the opportunity to work with Rick as he deftly led Equality California through a period of significant growth and expansion of its mission to include advancing civil rights and social justice for the diverse communities to which LGBTQ+ belong. Under his leadership, the organization has more than quadrupled in size and clearly cemented California’s role as a trailblazer in the fight for full, lived LGBTQ+ equality. Equality California has sponsored and passed groundbreaking legislation to protect LGBTQ+ youth against so-called “conversion therapy,” banned the shamefully offensive “gay and trans panic” defense from California courtrooms, sued the Trump-Pence Administration to block the transgender military ban and — with your signature last year — finally repealed the last vestiges of California’s discriminatory “sodomy laws.” The organization has launched a statewide program to hold school districts accountable for protecting LGBTQ+ students, worked to increase access to life-saving HIV prevention medications and advocated for policies to protect immigrant communities and address the state’s homelessness crisis. Rick’s extensive experience as a leading government and environmental law attorney and his role leading a large nonprofit organization make him an extremely qualified candidate to serve as California’s next attorney general. But his lived experience — as an openly gay Latino from a small farming community in the Rio Grande Valley, as a gay man living through the AIDS crisis, as an LGBTQ+ co-parent of three and as a member of our community who has experienced first-hand the injustices of discriminatory laws — is what distinguishes Rick as an authentic, effective and compassionate leader who would serve California well as the state’s top attorney and be an outstanding partner to you in your work to build a “California for All.” National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General For the reasons listed above, we are proud to join LGBTQ+ leaders throughout California in respectfully urging you to appoint Rick Chavez Zbur as California’s next — and first openly LGBTQ+ — attorney general. Sincerely, Alphonso David President, Human Rights Campaign Kevin Jennings Chief Executive Officer, Lambda Legal Former Assistant Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Education Andy Marra Executive Director, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) Imani Rupert-Gordon Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Janson Wu Executive Director, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) Evan Wolfson Founder, Freedom to Marry Hon. Raymond Buckley Chair, New Hampshire Democratic Party Former State Representative, New Hampshire Hon. Neil Giuliano CEO, Greater Phoenix Leadership Former Mayor, City of Tempe Former CEO, GLAAD Former CEO, San Francisco AIDS Foundation National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General Hon. Kevin B. Morrison Commissioner, Cook County Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Fund Hon. Annise Parker President & CEO, LGBTQ Victory Fund Former Mayor, City of Houston J.D. Angle Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Fund Gwen Baba Board Emeritus Council Member, Human Rights Campaign Foundation Elizabeth Birch CEO, Elizabeth Birch Company Former Executive Director, Human Rights Campaign Denise Brogan-Kator Interim Chief Executive Officer, Family Equality David Brown Legal Director, Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF) Sara Burlingame Executive Director, Wyoming Equality John Davidson Chief Counsel, Freedom for All Americans Mitchell Draizin Founder & President, Concordia Philanthropic Fund Sarah Kate Ellis President & CEO, GLAAD National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General Joseph Falk Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Fund Kyle Ferari-Muñoz Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Institute Ben Finzel President, RENEWPR Mike Fuller Board Vice Chair, LGBTQ Victory Institute Ruben Gonzales Executive Director, LGBTQ Victory Institute Jeff Graham Executive Director, Georgia Equality Lynn Greer Founding Co-Chair, LGBTQ Victory Fund Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Institute Chris Hartman Executive Director, Fairness Campaign Nancy Haque Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon Tony Hoang Managing Director, Equality California Board Member, Equality Federation Mike Holloman Board Treasurer, One Victory Alana Jochum Executive Director, Equality Ohio National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General Jeremy LaMaster Executive Director, FreeState Justice Jennifer Levi Director, Transgender Rights Project, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) Stephen Lewis Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Institute Stuart Milk Co-Founder & Executive Chair, Harvey Milk Foundation David Mixner Civil Rights Activist & Author Shannon Minter Legal Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Amit Paley CEO, The Trevor Project Catherine Pino Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Institute Valerie Ploumpis National Policy Director, Equality California & Silver State Equality Victory Campaign Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Fund Scout Executive Director, National LGBT Cancer Network Alexander Slater Founding Partner, Clyde Group Mattheus E. Stephens Board Member, LGBTQ Victory Fund National LGBTQ+ Leaders Supporting Rick Chavez Zbur for California Attorney General John Tedstrom CEO, NextGen Leaders, Inc. Kasey Suffrendini CEO & National Campaign Director, Freedom for All Americans André C. Wade State Director, Silver State Equality Dylan Waguespack Public Policy & External Affairs Director, True Colors United Troy Williams Executive Director, Equality Utah Titles, positions, organizations, companies and affiliations are listed for identification purposes only and do not indicate the support or endorsement of anyone but the individual signer. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Complexities of Sex Education in Utah
    1 The Complexities of Sex Education in Utah Grace Sponaugle Occidental College, Urban & Environmental Policy Professor Cha, Professor Matsuoka, & Professor Shamasunder April 8, 2019 Sponaugle 2 Abstract Utah has a state-wide policy of abstinence education. Abstinence education programs have been proven to be ineffective at delaying the initiation of sex and changing sexual risk behaviors (Santelli et al., 2017), correlating with high rates of teen pregnancies and STIs ​ ​ ((Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011)(McCammon, 2017)). Limiting the standards by which sex ​ ​ education programs are deemed “effective” to disease and pregnancy prevention, neglects the holistic view of sexual health as defined by the CDC. Therefore, in an attempt to understand the broader implications that sex education has had on youth in Utah, this study examined, through a survey and interviews, the social, cultural, and educational influences that youth in Utah attributed to their sex education. Additionally, this study analyzed how these influences have played a role in the youth’s self perception of their sexual knowledge and sexual health. This research revealed that abstinence education is inherently limited, calling for Utah to expand its sex education framework beyond abstinence education and embrace a comprehensive model for sex education. Sponaugle 3 Acknowledgements First, I would like to thank Professor Cha, Professor Matsuoka, and Professor Shamasunder for their help and guidance not only on the completion of my thesis, but also throughout my journey at Occidental College. Additionally, I would like to thank everyone that participated in the survey and interviews. None of this would have be possible without your support and interest in my project.
    [Show full text]
  • “Destroy Every Closet Door” -Harvey Milk
    “Destroy Every Closet Door” -Harvey Milk Riya Kalra Junior Division Individual Exhibit Student-composed words: 499 Process paper: 500 Annotated Bibliography Primary Sources: Black, Jason E., and Charles E. Morris, compilers. An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk's Speeches and Writings. University of California Press, 2013. This book is a compilation of Harvey Milk's speeches and interviews throughout his time in California. These interviews describe his views on the community and provide an idea as to what type of person he was. This book helped me because it gave me direct quotes from him and allowed me to clearly understand exactly what his perspective was on major issues. Board of Supervisors in January 8, 1978. City and County of San Francisco, sfbos.org/inauguration. Accessed 2 Jan. 2019. This image is of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from the time Harvey Milk was a supervisor. This image shows the people who were on the board with him. This helped my project because it gave a visual of many of the key people in the story of Harvey Milk. Braley, Colin E. Sharice Davids at a Victory Party. NBC, 6 Nov. 2018, www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/sharice-davids-lesbian-native-american-makes- political-history-kansas-n933211. Accessed 2 May 2019. This is an image of Sharcie Davids at a victory party after she was elected to congress in Kansas. This image helped me because ti provided a face to go with he quote that I used on my impact section of board. California State, Legislature, Senate. Proposition 6.
    [Show full text]
  • Rep. Neubauer Debuts Pride Month Bill Legislation Protects Crime Victims from Discrimination Based on Gender Or Sexual Identity
    For Immediate Release Contact: Rep. Greta Neubauer June 4, 2019 (608) 237-9166/[email protected] Rep. Neubauer Debuts Pride Month Bill Legislation protects crime victims from discrimination based on gender or sexual identity MADISON – Today, Representative Greta Neubauer (D-Racine) joined the Wisconsin Legislative LGBT Caucus and allies in releasing the 2019 Equality Agenda in honor of Pride Month. Rep. Neubauer introduced a new bill authored with Reps. Marisabel Cabrera (D-Milwaukee), Rep. Todd Novak (R-Dodgeville), and Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) eliminating the so-called “Gay” or “Trans Panic” defense. Neubauer released the following statement: “I am so proud to stand together with the LGBT Caucus and guests to bring this important legislation today,” Neubauer said. “The Equality Package represents a diversity of priorities aimed at increasing equality for our LGBTQ+ neighbors in Racine and across our state.” “I am especially proud to introduce LRB 2490 along with Representatives Cabrera and Novak and Senator Carpenter. This bill would eliminate the so-called “Gay Panic” or “Trans Panic” defense, which discriminates against crime victims based on their gender or sexual identity. It’s unacceptable today that criminal defendants can further discriminate against victims based on their LGBTQ+ identity, and I’m committed to working to end this abhorrent practice,” Neubauer concluded. Carl Hubbard, Board President of Racine’s own LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin, also spoke at the press conference, stating “The bills are paper. The lives that these bills will impact are real.” A Racine press conference with further details regarding LRB 2490 and the Equality Package will take place in Racine on June 17th, 2019.
    [Show full text]
  • September 20, 2019 Program Design Branch, Program
    September 20, 2019 Program Design Branch, Program Development Division, Food and Nutrition Service United States Department of Agriculture 3101 Park Center Dr., Alexandria, VA 22302 Re: Notice of Proposed Rule Making -- Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) RIN 0584-AE62 Dear Program Design Branch: The undersigned lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) and allied organizations urge the USDA to withdraw its proposed rule, Revision of Categorical Eligibility in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If implemented, the proposed rule would harm millions of low-income Americans, with particularly negative implications for the LGBTQ community. Since 1996, over forty jurisdictions have implemented a process known as “broad-based categorical eligibility” (BBCE), for households receiving some in-kind services funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program. While federal requirements restrict SNAP assistance to households with net incomes under 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), gross incomes under 130% of the FPL, and in many cases liquid assets below $2,250, the BBCE option gives states flexibility to adjust these thresholds.i Most states have opted to eliminate the asset test and increase the gross income limit (up to 200% of the FPL) for SNAP. In this manner, states can: 1) extend SNAP eligibility to families with gross incomes working their way up the economic ladder but still struggling with high costs for basics, and 2) incentivize families to save by loosening restrictions on assets. Congress has consistently upheld BBCE since its inception, most recently during the 2018 Farm Bill.ii The proposed rule would greatly undercut the scope of BBCE, effectively sidestepping Congress’ bipartisan efforts to maintain the option.
    [Show full text]
  • Harvey Milk Page 1 of 3 Opera Assn
    San Francisco Orpheum 1996-1997 Harvey Milk Page 1 of 3 Opera Assn. Theatre Production made possible by a generous grant from Madeleine Haas Russell. Harvey Milk (in English) Opera in three acts by Stewart Wallace Libretto by Michael Korie Commissioned by S. F. Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and New York City Opera The commission for "Harvey Milk" has been funded in substantial part by a generous gift from Drs. Dennis and Susan Carlyle and has been supported by major grants from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Opera for a New America, a project of OPERA America; the Caddell & Conwell Foundation for the Arts; as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. Conductor CAST Donald Runnicles Harvey Milk Robert Orth Production Messenger James Maddalena Christopher Alden Mama Elizabeth Bishop Set designer Young Harvey Adam Jacobs Paul Steinberg Dan White Raymond Very Costume Designer Man at the opera James Maddalena Gabriel Berry Gidon Saks Lighting Designer Bradley Williams Heather Carson Randall Wong Sound Designer William Pickersgill Roger Gans Richard Walker Chorus Director Man in a tranch coat/Cop Raymond Very Ian Robertson Central Park cop David Okerlund Choreographer Joe Randall Wong Ross Perry Jack Michael Chioldi Realized by Craig Bradley Williams Victoria Morgan Beard Juliana Gondek Musical Preparation Mintz James Maddalena Peter Grunberg Horst Brauer Gidon Saks Bryndon Hassman Adelle Eslinger Scott Smith Bradley Williams Kathleen Kelly Concentration camp inmate Randall Wong Ernest Fredric Knell James Maddalena Synthesizer Programmer
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws Clifford J
    SJ Quinney College of Law, University of Utah Utah Law Digital Commons Utah Law Faculty Scholarship Utah Law Scholarship 2017 Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws Clifford J. Rosky S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://dc.law.utah.edu/scholarship Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Constitutional Law Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, Law and Gender Commons, and the Sexuality and the Law Commons Recommended Citation Rosky, Clifford J., "Anti-Gay Curriculum Laws" (2017). Utah Law Faculty Scholarship. 13. http://dc.law.utah.edu/scholarship/13 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Utah Law Scholarship at Utah Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Utah Law Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Utah Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DRAFT: 117 COLUM. L. REV. ___ (forthcoming 2017) ANTI-GAY CURRICULUM LAWS Clifford Rosky Since the Supreme Court’s invalidation of anti-gay marriage laws, scholars and advocates have begun discussing what issues the LGBT movement should prioritize next. This article joins that dialogue by developing the framework for a national campaign to invalidate anti-gay curriculum laws—statutes that prohibit or restrict the discussion of homosexuality in public schools. These laws are artifacts of a bygone era in which official discrimination against LGBT people was both lawful and rampant. But they are far more prevalent than others have recognized. In the existing literature, scholars and advocates have referred to these provisions as “no promo homo” laws and claimed that they exist in only a handful of states.
    [Show full text]
  • Accelerating Acceptance 2016
    Accelerating Acceptance 2016 A Harris Poll survey of Americans’ acceptance of LGBT people 1 GLAAD’s“ findings point to a culture of Accelerating complacency, wherein Acceptance 2016 the non-LGBT public is under the false and Introduction potentially dangerous 2015 represented an especially historic year in the movement impression that for LGBT equality, with the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which guaranteed same-sex couples the right the work for LGBT to marry nationwide. Notwithstanding the American public has grown well beyond majority status in support for marriage equality equality is done. and we have reached what TIME Magazine called the “transgender tipping point,” GLAAD’s recent survey results, conducted by Harris Poll, reveal that other key, yet perhaps more nuanced attitudes about LGBT people are lagging and the cause of Accelerating “ Acceptance in 2016 and beyond must continue. With the monumental progress achieved for marriage equality also comes a misperception that LGBT people are now fully equal in the eyes of the law. For example, half of non-LGBT Americans (50%) currently believe that “gay people have the same rights as everybody else,” GLAAD’s survey reveals. GLAAD’s findings point to a culture of complacency, wherein the non-LGBT public is under the false and potentially dangerous impression that the work for LGBT equality is done. Yet, GLAAD’s survey also reveals that slow but steady progress is being made for acceptance of LGBT people. In many of the ‘comfortability’ questions central to GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance survey, non-LGBT Americans report significantly less discomfort than was reported in 2014.
    [Show full text]
  • Organizations Endorsing the Equality Act
    647 ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSING THE EQUALITY ACT National Organizations 9to5, National Association of Working Women Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC A Better Balance Asian American Federation A. Philip Randolph Institute Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) ACRIA Association of Flight Attendants – CWA ADAP Advocacy Association Association of Title IX Administrators - ATIXA Advocates for Youth Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists AFGE Athlete Ally AFL-CIO Auburn Seminary African American Ministers In Action Autistic Self Advocacy Network The AIDS Institute Avodah AIDS United BALM Ministries Alan and Leslie Chambers Foundation Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative American Academy of HIV Medicine Bend the Arc Jewish Action American Academy of Pediatrics Black and Pink American Association for Access, EQuity and Diversity BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la PaZ American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBTQ Interests American Association of University Women (AAUW) Caring Across Generations American Atheists Catholics for Choice American Bar Association Center for American Progress American Civil Liberties Union Center for Black Equity American Conference of Cantors Center for Disability Rights American Counseling Association Center for Inclusivity American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Center for Inquiry Employees (AFSCME) Center for LGBTQ and Gender Studies American Federation of Teachers CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers American Heart Association Central Conference
    [Show full text]
  • Open Letter from LGBT Rights Organizations Demanding Justice for Trayvon Martin
    Open Letter from LGBT Rights Organizations Demanding Justice for Trayvon Martin A coalition of national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights organizations, led by the National Black Justice Coalition and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, issued the following open letter on Monday, July 15, 2013: We cannot begin to imagine the continued pain and suffering endured by Trayvon Martin's family and friends. We stand in solidarity with them as they continue to fight for justice, civil rights and closure. And we thank everyone who has pushed and will continue to push for justice. Trayvon Martin deserves justice and his civil rights. We support the organizations and community leaders who are urging the federal government to explore every option to ensure that justice is served for Trayvon and that his civil rights are honored and respected. But our work does not end there: we will honor Trayvon Martin by strengthening our commitment to end bias, hatred, profiling and violence across our communities. We represent organizations with diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender constituencies. Our community has been targets of bigotry, bias, profiling and violence. We have experienced the heart- breaking despair of young people targeted for who they are, who they are presumed to be, or who they love: Rashawn Brazell, Lawrence King, Ali Forney, Brandon Teena, Brandon White, Matthew Shepard, Marco McMillian, Angie Zapata, Sakia Gunn, Gwen Araujo and countless others. Every person, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, must be able to walk the streets without fear for their safety. Justice delayed is justice denied and in the words of Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • March 12, 2017 Dear President Emmert & NCAA Governance: On
    March 12, 2017 Dear President Emmert & NCAA Governance: On behalf of the undersigned, the Human Rights Campaign and Athlete Ally strongly encourage the NCAA to reaffirm its commitment to operating championships and events that are safe, healthy, and free from discrimination; and are held in sites where the dignity of everyone involved -- from athletes and coaches, to students and workers -- is assured. The NCAA has already demonstrated its commitment to ensuring safe and inclusive events. In response to state legislatures passing laws targeting LGBTQ people, the NCAA required that bidders seeking to host tournaments or events demonstrate how they will ensure the safety of all participants and spectators, and protect them from discrimination. Based on the new guidelines, the NCAA relocated events scheduled to be held in North Carolina due to the state’s discriminatory HB2 law. We commend these previous actions. With the next round of site selections underway, we urge the NCAA to reaffirm these previous commitments to nondiscrimination and inclusion by avoiding venues that are inherently unwelcoming and unsafe for LGBTQ people. Such locations include: ● Venues in cities or states with laws that sanction discrimination against LGBTQ people in goods, services and/or public accommodations; ● Venues in cities and/or states that prevent transgender people from using the bathroom and/or locker room consistent with their gender identity;1 ● Venues at schools that request Title IX exemptions to discriminate against students based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity; and ● Venues in states that preempt or override local nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people. The presence of even one of these factors would irreparably undermine the NCAA’s ability to ensure the health, safety and dignity of event participants.
    [Show full text]
  • Download the Playbook
    A Guide for Reporting SOUTHERN on LGBT People in STORIES South Carolina WE ARE A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE GLAAD SOUTHERN STORIES PROGRAM 800.789.5401 MGBWHOME.COM GLAAD Southern Stories A Guide for Reporting on LGBT People in South Carolina Getting Started 4 Terms and Definitions 5 South Carolina’s LGBT History 6 When GLAAD’s Accelerating Acceptance report revealed that levels of discomfort towards the LGBT community are as high as 43% in Terms to Avoid 10 America—and spike to 61% in the South—we knew we had to act. To accelerate LGBT acceptance in the U.S. South, GLAAD is telling the stories of LGBT people from across the region through our Southern Stories program. We are amplifying stories of LGBT people who are resilient in the face of inequality and Defamatory Language 11 adversity, and building a culture in which they are able not only to survive, but also to thrive. These are impactful stories with the power to change hearts and minds, but they are too often missed or ignored altogether. In South Carolina, the LGBT community is Best Practices in Media Coverage 12 making sure and steady progress, but the work to achieve full equality and acceptance is far from done. More and more, South Carolina sees communities of faith opening their arms to LGBT people; public officials listening to families, workers, and tax payers Pitfalls to Avoid as they voice their need for equal protections; 13 students creating supportive, inclusive spaces; and allies standing up for their LGBT friends, family members, and neighbors.
    [Show full text]
  • LGBTQ Organizations Unite in Calling for Transformational Change in Policing
    LGBTQ Organizations Unite in Calling for Transformational Change in Policing Black people have been killed, Black people are dying at the hands of police, our country is in crisis, and we all need to take action. We cannot sit on the sidelines, we cannot acquiesce, and we cannot assign responsibility to others. We, as leaders in the LGBTQ movement, must rise up and call for structural change, for divestment of police resources and reinvestment in communities, and for long-term transformational change. Now is the time to take action, and this letter amplifies our strong calls for urgent and immediate action to be taken. Ongoing police brutality and systemic racism have plagued this nation for generations and have been captured on video and laid bare to the public in the United States and around the world. In 2019, more than 1,000 people were killed at the hands of the police.1 We mourn the unacceptable and untimely deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Freddie Gray, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Mya Hall, Tony McDade, Rayshard Brooks, and many more who were gone too soon. We have seen with increased frequency the shocking video footage of police brutality. Officers have been recorded instigating violence, screaming obscenities, dragging individuals out of cars, using unnecessary force, holding individuals at gunpoint, and kneeling on peoples’ necks to the desperate plea of “I can’t breathe.” These occurrences are stark reminders of a police system that needs structural changes, deconstruction, and transformation. No one should fear for their lives when they are pulled over by the police.
    [Show full text]