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(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
4/23/09
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
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
New Links @@@@@@@@@@@@@
Click here to take action.
http://us.mc456.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kelli@yahoo.com
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http://us.mc456.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=kelli@yahoo.com
Garden State Residents Urgent Please Call These Legislators Today!
URGENT PLEASE ACT!
Starting at 9:30 am TODAY, Thursday, April 23, 2009, we ask each of you, no matter where in New Jersey you live, to call the 3 legislators listed below to tell their offices: "Today, Quinnipiac came out with a poll showing New Jersey favors marriage equality. The Senator needs to support the bill strongly. If New Jersey is for it and it's the correct thing to do, what's the problem?" It can be in your own words, but make sure you mention it's a Quinnipiac Poll (pronounced Quinn-uh-PEE-ack), a highly respected independent poll. You may hear, "you're not in the Senator's district" or "the bill won't come up until later this year, so why are you calling now?" Please stick with it. We recently had a legislator ask us, has there been an independent poll in your favor?
Senate President Dick Codey at (973) 731-6770
Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney at (856) 251-9801
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo at (201) 804-8118
If you’re told by the office you’re not a constituent: “I’m calling your office because the Senator holds a leadership position that impacts the entire state.”If you hear anything substantive in your conversations - something beyond thank you or we’ll record your views - let us know by emailing us at http://us.mc456.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Contact@GardenStateEquality.org. Include which legislative office you spoke with, what the office said, as well as your own name and hometown.Your activism makes all the difference in the world to tell our side of the story.On behalf of the entire Garden State Equality Board and staff, please accept our deepest gratitude. And please forward this email to all the people you know so they call too - today, Thursday.
Visit Garden State Equality's two websites, http://www.gardenstateequality.org/ and http://www.civilunionsdontwork.com/ Tell-a-friend!
Senate President Dick Codey at (973) 731-6770
Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney at (856) 251-9801
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo at (201) 804-8118
If you’re told by the office you’re not a constituent: “I’m calling your office because the Senator holds a leadership position that impacts the entire state.”If you hear anything substantive in your conversations - something beyond thank you or we’ll record your views - let us know by emailing us at http://us.mc456.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=Contact@GardenStateEquality.org. Include which legislative office you spoke with, what the office said, as well as your own name and hometown.Your activism makes all the difference in the world to tell our side of the story.On behalf of the entire Garden State Equality Board and staff, please accept our deepest gratitude. And please forward this email to all the people you know so they call too - today, Thursday.
Visit Garden State Equality's two websites, http://www.gardenstateequality.org/ and http://www.civilunionsdontwork.com/ Tell-a-friend!
4/22/09
Andrade guilty of first-degree murder
Allen Ray Andrade has been found guilty of first degree murder the sentencing is mandated in Colorado to be life imprisonment without parole.
Source: Greeley Tribune
The jury took just two hours to convict Andrade, 32, of Thornton of first-degree murder, a bias-motivated crime, motor vehicle theft and identity theft. The trial began last week.
A chorus of muffled sobs came from Angie Zapata’s family as the verdict was read.
Full original story at Greeley Tribune
Source: Greeley Tribune
The jury took just two hours to convict Andrade, 32, of Thornton of first-degree murder, a bias-motivated crime, motor vehicle theft and identity theft. The trial began last week.
A chorus of muffled sobs came from Angie Zapata’s family as the verdict was read.
Full original story at Greeley Tribune
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