WASHINGTON, DC – Dozens of transgender religious leaders converged on legislators today in Washington D.C. to deliver a joint letter in support of hate crimes legislation and against the history of violence against transgender people. The House of Representatives is expected to vote soon on HR 1913, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act which has the goal of helping local officials handle the demands of hate crimes investigations.
The full letter was released to the media at a press conference on Tuesday, April 28, at the Foundry United Methodist Church in northwest Washington D.C. where transgender faith leaders spoke out for both protection of transgender people, who are often targeted for hate crimes, as well as for reform of the criminal justice system that favors incarceration over education.
The Rev. Malcolm Himschoot said, “Lawmakers and judicial authorities need to bring moral imagination to the problem of hate crimes. If people are taught to hate and dehumanize transgender people, they can also be taught to be respectful.”
The full letter from transgender religious leaders reflected on the recent murder of Angie Zapata in Colorado:
The ‘guilty’ verdict reached in a court of law dignified, but could never repair, the value of Angie’s life and the gravity of her loss. Yet, our experience in ministries that work toward nonviolent alternatives reintegration and rehabilitation of offenders does not allow us to believe we can achieve safety by disposing of people behind bars.
Nicole Garcia, transgender representative for Lutherans Concerned, North America said, “The recent murder of Angie Zapata galvanized transgender religious leaders. As people of faith we hold to a story of justice, not violence; a story of restoration, not retribution. Hundreds of transgender persons have been murdered and that must stop. All of us must open our eyes to our beautifully diverse world. It is time for transgender people of faith to be seen and heard. It is time for a season of respect.”
Himschoot, a United Church of Christ minister, initiated the statement in support of hate crimes legislation and full human rights of transgender people. The statement was signed by fifty faith leaders—many of whom attended the lobbying day and delivered the statement to members of the Senators and members of the House of Representatives.
Transgender faith leaders spoke to decision makers about the poverty that comes with prejudice and employment discrimination. Encouraging the resources and reliability of federal protection everywhere, they spoke highly of officials in Colorado who resisted the so-called “trans panic defense” as an excuse for murdering transgender people.
We are grateful for responsible investigators, prosecutors, and a jury who invalidated a harmful and re-victimizing “trans-panic” defense. No one is responsible for their own beating, bashing or killing.
Garcia said, “I don’t live in fear anymore. I live with hope. I live to educate and help people realize that we are all human beings with feelings, family and faith. We all matter. I pray that Angie’s family finds some peace and consolation in the guilty verdict. I pray for Allen Andrade. His life will now be a series of prison cells for years to come. I hope he finds peace as well.”
••Letter from Transgender Religious Leaders to Legislators in Support of a Inclusive Hate Crimes Bill (Tuesday, April 28, 2009)
•Call to Action:From Fear to Hope by Nicole Garcia
•Special Thanks
For further information, please consider these resources.
•NCTE Fact Sheet on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Act (H.R. 1913)
•GLAAD Resource Kit on the Angie Zapata Murder
•HRC Fight the Hate website
The Transgender Religious Leaders Network is an emerging collaboration of transgender-identified religious and spiritual leaders, connecting to support one another and collaborate on diverse projects.
4/28/09
4/27/09
Call Today! Support Hate Crimes Legislation Today!
Call Your Representatives Today in Support of Hate Crimes Legislation!
The House is preparing to vote on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act - H.R. 1913 as early as this week. As you know, the bill would give the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence by providing the department with jurisdiction over crimes of violence where the victim is chosen because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
When introducing the bill, Representative Conyers stated that the legislation "provides 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."
Hate crimes impacts all of our loved ones and H.R. 1913 is needed to ensure that all of our families and friends have the right to be safe and free from physical harm and intimidation.
Call Your Representative Today and Share Your Support!
Representatives need to know you support H.R. 1913 as they plan to vote on the bill. We urge you to call them now using our toll-free number, 866-346-4611, and encourage them to support this critical legislation as they prepare to vote. Our opposition continues to barrage representatives with messages of fear and hate - please take advantage of this time to reach out to their representatives and show your support. Please take action by clicking here, and help us address the violence our LGBT loved ones face.
The House is preparing to vote on the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act - H.R. 1913 as early as this week. As you know, the bill would give the Justice Department the power to investigate and prosecute bias-motivated violence by providing the department with jurisdiction over crimes of violence where the victim is chosen because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
When introducing the bill, Representative Conyers stated that the legislation "provides 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."
Hate crimes impacts all of our loved ones and H.R. 1913 is needed to ensure that all of our families and friends have the right to be safe and free from physical harm and intimidation.
Call Your Representative Today and Share Your Support!
Representatives need to know you support H.R. 1913 as they plan to vote on the bill. We urge you to call them now using our toll-free number, 866-346-4611, and encourage them to support this critical legislation as they prepare to vote. Our opposition continues to barrage representatives with messages of fear and hate - please take advantage of this time to reach out to their representatives and show your support. Please take action by clicking here, and help us address the violence our LGBT loved ones face.
4/24/09
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.
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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.
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