On May 16, 2007, Sean Kennedy, a 20-year old gay man, was attacked on the streets of Greenville, South Carolina. He died of his injuries later that night. Yet, because of the lack of hate crimes legislation, his attacker will be eligible for parole in as little as 10 months.
Sean was a brave young man with a bright, infectious smile. But his life was cut short and justice left unserved.
As it stands now, 23 states, including South Carolina, do not have hate crime laws that include sexual orientation, but passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Action (LLEHCPA) would change that by strengthening existing laws and allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases.
Sean's death shows that comprehensive hate crime legislation is urgently needed. Please support the LLEHCPA.
We took action on “Demand Comprehensive Hate Crime Legislation”!
# 9,340:
8:18 pm PDT, Jun 21,Tatiana Costa, Brazil
# 9,338:
11:11 am PDT, Jun 18,Christopher Lanphear, South Carolina
Every human being deserves to have the same respect and fair treatments as others. Comprehensive hate crimes are extremely important to promote unity throughout the human race.
# 9,337:
1:40 pm PDT, Jun 9,DANIEL OLIVEREZ, California
# 9,336:
6:52 am PDT, May 26,Lehman W. Heaviland, Sr., Missouri
# 9,335:
9:04 pm PDT, May 16,Timothy Sprengeler, Iowa
# 9,334:
2:56 pm PDT, Mar 25,Spirit Aiken, Washington
I write today as a supporter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to urge you to pass hate crimes legislation. As hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans continue to rise, it is imperative that Congress pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA). The recent, tragic attack on Sean Kennedy, a young gay man in South Carolina, shows that a comprehensive hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression is urgently needed and long overdue.
Only 27 states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws inclusive of sexual orientation, and only five of those and the District of Columbia are expressly transgender inclusive. Passage of the LLEHCPA will strengthen existing laws by allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases.
Law enforcement officials need and want, hate crimes legislation too. Support from notable law enforcement agencies and state and local leaders includes 22 state attorneys general, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation and the National Sheriffs' Association. More than 175 law enforcement, civil rights and religious organizations support passage of this critical legislation.
Our LGBT loved ones deserve to be protected and law enforcement needs the tools necessary to investigate and prosecute crimes motivated by hate. I, along with the over 200,000 members and supporters of PFLAG urge you to support the LLEHCPA and take a strong stand for our families and friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
# 9,333:
3:59 pm PDT, Mar 24,Name not displayed, Louisiana
# 9,332:
4:50 pm PDT, Mar 23,Yvette Diaz, Texas
# 9,331:
6:26 am PDT, Mar 18,Christy Venn, Alabama
Passage of the LLEHCPA will strengthen existing laws by allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases. view more Law enforcement officials need and want, hate crimes legislation too. Support from notable law enforcement agencies and state and local leaders includes 22 state attorneys general, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation and the National Sheriffs' Association. More than 175 law enforcement, civil rights and religious organizations support passage of this critical legislation.
# 9,330:
9:55 am PDT, Mar 16,Dirk Rogers, Texas
# 9,329:
9:40 am PDT, Mar 16,David Nelson, New York
# 9,328:
8:54 am PDT, Mar 16,Carmen Badeau, New Mexico
# 9,327:
7:53 am PDT, Mar 16,Sarah Heald, United Kingdom
There are several reasons why people may be gay...BUT if your child/neice/nephew turned out to be gay, or your best friend ,would you accept this discrimination?
# 9,326:
2:35 pm PDT, Mar 11,Name not displayed, Maryland
To exclude sexual orientation in this way itself is a crime. Please include this protection for our LGBT friends.
# 9,325:
8:05 am PDT, Mar 10,Troy Beecham, Georgia
# 9,324:
11:19 pm PST, Mar 1,Michael Jackson, South Carolina
As a victom of a beating in Columbia (OUR CAPITAL) based on my leaving a gay club the guy who did it was never charged even though i identified him and pointed him out to police nothing was ever done to him but i was labeled as a faget that was trouble and needed to be dead.... By the offender who beat me
# 9,323:
11:19 am PST, Feb 18,Karla Espinal, Texas
# 9,322:
10:32 am PST, Feb 7,Marvin Rodriguez, Texas
# 9,321:
9:50 pm PST, Jan 25,Silvia Ator, New Mexico
# 9,320:
10:31 am PST, Jan 21,Name not displayed, New Jersey
# 9,319:
12:55 am PST, Jan 13,Rhonda Peters, California
# 9,318:
2:48 pm PST, Jan 3,Name not displayed, Maryland
# 9,317:
1:44 pm PST, Jan 1,Melanie Doherty, New York
# 9,316:
12:49 pm PST, Dec 22,Alicia Messer, Virginia
# 9,315:
1:10 pm PST, Dec 17,Ashley Calderon, California
This is disgusting, eligible for parole in 10 months? That's how much a human life is worth? I hope somebody can offer justice in this case and others like it.
# 9,314:
10:15 am PST, Nov 29,Dayton Cooper, New Jersey
# 9,313:
1:32 pm PST, Nov 19,Name not displayed, California
# 9,312:
11:59 pm PST, Nov 16,Lorin King, Texas
# 9,311:
4:33 pm PST, Nov 4,Melissa Jones, California
# 9,310:
4:16 pm PST, Nov 3,Chernail Arnold, Georgia
# 9,309:
9:10 am PST, Nov 3,Suja Raj, Oklahoma
no one should be attacked based on the sexulaity.
# 9,308:
5:10 am PDT, Oct 31,Walter Hurni, California
I write today as a supporter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to urge you to pass hate crimes legislation. As hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans continue to rise, it is imperative that Congress pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA). The recent, tragic attack on Sean Kennedy, a young gay man in South Carolina, shows that a comprehensive hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression is urgently needed and long overdue.
Only 27 states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws inclusive of sexual orientation, and only five of those and the District of Columbia are expressly transgender inclusive. Passage of the LLEHCPA will strengthen existing laws by allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases.
view more
Law enforcement officials need and want, hate crimes legislation too. Support from notable law enforcement agencies and state and local leaders includes 22 state attorneys general, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Foundation and the National Sheriffs' Association. More than 175 law enforcement, civil rights and religious organizations support passage of this critical legislation.
Our LGBT loved ones deserve to be protected and law enforcement needs the tools necessary to investigate and prosecute crimes motivated by hate. I, along with the over 200,000 members and supporters of PFLAG urge you to support the LLEHCPA and take a strong stand for our families and friends who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
view less
Sincerely,
Walter Hurni
# 9,307:
3:39 am PDT, Oct 31,Amanda Tolley, Ohio
# 9,306:
2:40 pm PDT, Oct 30,Name not displayed, California
If you knew how much love I have for my brother. A person who never so much as hurt a fly, you would know why this law is so important. Just as we cannot snap our fingers and change our eye color or skin color (nor would I want to), neither can a person change their sexual preference (why should we?)
I implore you to think of someone you love, and ask yourself whether or not they have an inherent right to BE. If you and they do, then please pass this legislation. Family members implore you to do so! Let us live in PEACE!
# 9,305:
11:07 am PDT, Oct 30,Rachel Blue, Oklahoma
# 9,304:
10:17 pm PDT, Oct 28,Kathryn Hall, California
# 9,303:
1:42 pm PDT, Oct 28,Slade Childers, California
# 9,302:
1:26 pm PDT, Oct 28,Jennifer Bratsch-Torres, California
# 9,301:
12:53 pm PDT, Oct 28,Claire Buckley, California
write today as a supporter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to urge you to pass hate crimes legislation. As hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans continue to rise, it is imperative that Congress pass the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (LLEHCPA). The recent, tragic attack on Sean Kennedy, a young gay man in South Carolina, shows that a comprehensive hate crimes bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression is urgently needed and long overdue.
Only 27 states and the District of Columbia have hate crimes laws inclusive of sexual orientation, and only five of those and the District of Columbia are expressly transgender inclusive. Passage of the LLEHCPA will strengthen existing laws by allowing the Department of Justice to assist local prosecutions, and where appropriate, investigate and prosecute cases.
Sincerely
Claire Jennifer Buckley
