THE STATISTICS OF HATE!

.
"What is the good of having the statue without the liberty?"

During the past several months, I've posted story after story about crimes committed against the LGBT community; urging readers to contact their senators to vote for passage of the Hate Crimes Bill.

The statistics in the following article are staggering..... We, as a community must unite, raise our voices and be heard. During this month of PRIDE celebrations, reflect on the men and women who "fought back" during the Stonewall riots and think of where we might be today if we had not finally said, "enough is enough"!

Study: Anti-Gay Hate Crimes Widespread
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff

Nearly four in 10 gay men and about one in eight lesbians and bisexuals in the United States have been the target of violence or a property crime because of their sexual orientation, according to a new study.

"This is the most reliable estimate to date of the prevalence of anti-gay victimization in the United States," said University of California, Davis, psychology professor Gregory Herek who conducted the study.

"The data demonstrate that crimes against sexual minority adults, especially gay men, are disturbingly widespread."

Herek's findings were based on a survey he conducted in the fall of 2005 with a nationally representative sample of 662 self-identified gay men, lesbians and bisexuals. The study will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Overall, 21 percent of the people in the survey reported being the victim of violence or a property crime -- including physical assault, sexual assault, theft and vandalism -- because of their sexual orientation.

In addition, 49 percent said they had been verbally abused because of their sexual orientation, 23 percent reported being threatened with violence, 12.5 percent reported having objects thrown at them, and 11 percent reported housing or job discrimination.

The total exceeds 100 percent because some individuals reported being the target of multiple attacks.

"These data highlight the continuing need for criminal justice programs to prevent and deter anti-gay crimes, as well as the need for victim services that will help to alleviate the physical, economic, social and psychological consequences of such crimes," Herek said.

The study found significantly different rates of victimization among gay men, lesbians and bisexuals.

More than a third of the gay men said they had experienced violence or property crime because of their sexual orientation, or about three times the proportion of lesbians and bisexuals.

Gay men also reported the highest rates of harassment and verbal abuse. And gay men and lesbians reported two to four times more housing and job discrimination than bisexuals.

The disparities persisted after Herek controlled statistically for age, race, ethnicity and education he said.

"Men are generally more likely than women to be the targets of most kinds of violent crime, and this pattern seems to hold in anti-gay hate crimes as well," Herek said.

"The gay men and lesbians in the study were much more likely than the bisexual men and women to be open about their sexual orientation. Their greater visibility probably also makes them easier targets for discrimination than bisexuals."

Survey respondents were randomly selected from a panel of more than 40,000 U.S. households maintained by Knowledge Networks, a survey research firm.

The firm recruits panel members via standard telephone sampling methods; in return for regularly completing online surveys, the panel members receive free Internet equipment and access.

Previous studies of anti-gay hate crimes have relied on samples that were smaller or not representative of the U.S. population, Herek reported.

In the new study, survey respondents had an average age of 39. Most had attended some college. Two thirds were white, 16 percent black and 12.5 percent Hispanic.

Data collection for the study was supported by a grant from the Gill Foundation, a Denver-based organization that supports equal opportunities for people regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression.

Legislation that would add gays and lesbians to the categories included under federal hate crime law is currently before Congress.

The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act passed the House last month and is pending in the Senate.

The White House has threatened to veto the measure if it passes.

STOP THE HATE

This video comes from one of my BLOGMASTERS and dear friend, Connie.

The senate will soon vote on the Matthew Shepard Act, the hate crimes bill. Opponents of civil rights for gay lesbian bisexual and transgendered people in America have drawn a line in the sand and are working 24/7 to stop this important bill. We must counter the voice of the radical right with the voice of the LGBT and allied communities who support human rights for all people.

The irony is that 73% of Americans support this bill’s measures, but the majority of people contacting senators oppose the bill. We can not be silent. The senate and the president must hear from supporters of the Matthew Shepard Act.

Please WATCH THE VIDEO and then click on the link below to send a letter to your senator today!

Time is running out.......... CLICK HERE!

THANKS, DON~

REMEMBERING SEAN WILLIAM KENNEDY

Look at the face of this young man. Look at the beauty in his eyes, the joy in his smile..... look at this young man and understand that he was killed because he was gay.

Look at this young man and call or write your senators.... tell them to pass the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill.

DO IT TODAY!
,
Elke Parker knew her son was special. But it wasn't until his death did she find out the extent of his talents.

"I am. I am who I am. I am the person you see. I would not change who I am for anybody," she read from part of Sean's writing called "I am."

There was another poem she found in Sean's things called "Grin."

"I stand tall with all of my pride. You hate. You discriminate all who are not like you. Yes, your words do hurt. But I stand in the end. I'm a strong person, bigger than you... I'll be standing there with a grin."

"I didn't know I had a poet," Elke said.

What she did know what that her son was handsome, talented, fun-loving and different.

"When Sean told me he was gay, he said mom, I understand if you don't want to love me anymore. I told him there is nothing, ever, that you can do to make me stop loving him," she said.

Sean was her third child, the baby of the family, and Elke says every one was behind him. They wanted him to be what he felt inside.

"I never thought that who sean was, is what would take his life," Elke said.

"You never think to talk to your son about do you want to be cremated or do you want to be buried?" Elke said.

The last week has pushed this mother, to almost break.

"I can't believe how much hate there is in this world," she said. Because she says her son was so much more than just a gay man.

"He was a leader. He was a friend. He was just a giver. No matter what you needed, you didn't even have to ask."

And it was the giving heart that packed Sean's funeral with almost 700 people. Then there were the ones who couldn't make the service.

"On his Myspace we had over 50,000 hits within two days, with messages from people. We knew Sean, we loved Sean, he did this for me, this is how he helped me."

A bit of comfort to his mother.

"I am proud that I was his mom. No. I am proud that I am his mom, not was."

Pride that will not let her son's spirit fade. So Elke will be pushing for a hate crime bill in South Carolina in Sean's memory.

"It may not help Sean today, but I want it to help future victims that they can be assured that there is justice."

Justice for Sean.

"If your son or daughter is different, you need to support them for who they really need to be," Elke said.

And who Sean was lives on in his infectious smile.

"This young man made such an impact on people's lives. He died way too soon, but, he will be remembered," Elke said.

The family believes it was hate behind the blows thrown outside Brew's.

Federal and local law enforcement agents are still trying to figure out if 18-year-old Steven Andrew Moller will be charged with a hate crime in the death.

He has already been charged with murder.

NOTE: I wrote about Sean Kennedy's murder on May 19, 2007. I did not have the photographs or his mother's comments at that time. I want this young man's murder to have an impact..... the HATE must stop!

I've brought the original post forward. It's directly below this post.

White House Threatens to Veto Hate Crimes Bill

.

The House of Representatives passed the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act Thursday, just hours after the White House said aides would recommend President Bush veto the measure.

The House voted 237 to 180. A parallel bill is working its way through the Senate.

The Shepard Act, also called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, would allow the Department of Justice to assist local authorities in investigating and prosecuting cases in which violence occurs against people based on their sexuality.

Federal hate crime legislation already covers people on the basis of race and religion.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) - the only openly gay man in the House - presided over the chamber as the final vote was taken.

"Today, we paid a sad but fitting tribute to victims of hate crimes like James Byrd, Matthew Shepherd and Michael Sandy," said Rep. Nadler (D-NY).

"No American should be threatened with violence because of who they are. Hate crimes attack not only the individual victim, but they send a violent message to an entire group of people. This hate crimes legislation takes critical steps to address violent bigotry and vicious acts of hatred. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly act to protect all Americans."

FBI statistics show that one in six hate crimes is motivated by the victim's sexual orientation.

"This is a historic day that moves all Americans closer to safety from the scourge of hate violence," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a statement following the vote.

"Today, legislators sided with the 73 percent of the American people who support the expansion of hate crimes laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity."

But as the House was preparing to vote the White House issued a statement saying that if the measure passed both houses and goes to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto it.

A statement from the Executive Office of the President said: "The Administration favors strong criminal penalties for violent crime, including crime based on personal characteristics, such as race, color, religion, or national origin."

"However, the Administration believes that H.R. 1592 is unnecessary and constitutionally questionable."

The White House statement said that state and local criminal laws already provide penalties for the crimes defined by the bill and "there has been no persuasive demonstration of any need to federalize such a potentially large range of violent crime enforcement."

The veto threat was immediately denounced by gay Democrats.

"By issuing a premature veto threat, President Bush fails to understand that he is not the sole decider regarding the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act," said Jo Wyrick, NSD Executive Director.

"Once again, the majority of American oppose the position of the President, and that is why we are urging the Senate Leadership to quickly move on this important legislation. We need Senate Democrats to step up before President Bush can step down"