OFFICIAL STATEMENT: HATE SPEECH TAGGED AT UTAH PRIDE CENTER |
| Salt Lake City, UT: The staff of the Utah Pride Center and Café Marmalade discovered that the marquee in front of the building had been vandalized during the night with the word “FAGS”. Staff made a report to the Salt Lake City Police Department who dispatched the Crime Scene Unit and are investigating the crime. The Utah Pride Center works diligently to create a safe environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people in Utah, and will not stand for instances of hate.
“We realize that often times the purpose of these actions are to cause widespread fear among the members of our community,” said Valerie Larabee, Executive Director. “That is why today we are speaking out. This will not be swept under the rug. We will not be scared into silence by acts of intolerance.”
The Utah Pride Center board and staff acknowledge that in any social justice movement, the more progress that is made, the more resistance the targeted community will face. “We welcome civil, respectful dialogues with those who disagree with our mission, but this kind of hate language and vandalism will not be tolerated,” said Larabee.
The Utah Pride Center appreciates the work of the Salt Lake City Police Department and the LGBT Public Safety Liaison Committee. |
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Jury Selection for Lawrence King Murder Trial Set to Begin Today |
| NEW YORK - As jury selection for the murder trial of Lawrence "Larry" King’s attacker, Brandon McInerney, is set to begin today in Ventura County, Calif., GLSEN is deeply saddened by the loss of two young lives to homophobia.
McInerney allegedly murdered King at E.O. Green Junior High in Oxnard on Feb. 12, 2008 because of King’s sexual orientation and gender expression. The then 14-year-old 8th grader shot his 15-year-old classmate in the head in the school's computer lab.
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Second Savannah Hate Crime Victim Comes Forward |
| A second gay man has come forward in Savannah stating that he is the victim of a hate crime. John Takats, a graduate student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, has issued a statement to Georgia Equality stating that he was beaten on the morning of February 27, 2010. According to Takats, his boyfriend had stepped away for a moment when a group of two men and two women approached him. One of the men allegedly asked him what he was looking at and then shouted "faggot" as he swung at him. Takats was hit in the back of the head and kicked until he fell to the ground. At that point the attackers fled the scene. Takats' partner returned to find him lying on the ground.
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FBI Reports 11 Percent Increase in Victims of Hate Crimes Based on Sexual Orientation in 2008 |
| Report shows rise in lesbian and gay hate crimes for third year in a row; Local and state law enforcement agencies urged to report statistics to FBI.
Washington – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, responded today to the Federal Bureau of Investigation report which showed the number of victims of bias-motivated crimes based on sexual orientation increased by 11 percent in 2008. The statistics show that reported hate crimes against the LGBT community have increased for the third year in a row. Hate crimes based on sexual orientation remain the third most common type of hate crimes, behind race and religion.
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Recent Hate Crimes Highlight Need to Teach Respect as Students Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance |
| NEW YORK, NY – GLSEN is proud to support students and Gay-Straight Alliances across the country participating in the 11th annual Transgender Day of Remembrance today to bring attention to bullying based on gender identity/expression and to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.
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