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Demand Comprehensive Hate Crime Legislation

Target: U.S. Senate
Sponsored by: Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays
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.
deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 15,000
 

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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.
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Sincerely,
[Your name here]
We took action on “Demand Comprehensive Hate Crime Legislation”!
# 9,201:
3:55 am PDT, Sep 5, Victoria Lewis, Kentucky
# 9,200:
6:17 pm PDT, Sep 4, Marion Townsend, Alaska
# 9,199:
5:45 pm PDT, Sep 4, Vivien Limon, California
# 9,198:
10:14 am PDT, Sep 4, Ronald Stewart, Pennsylvania
This just reminds me of the years sspent trying to pass a Federal anti-lynching law in the 40's and 50's. No group in our society should be without the protectionof the law.
# 9,197:
12:34 am PDT, Sep 4, Odette Rickert, Hawaii
# 9,196:
7:37 pm PDT, Sep 3, Linda Thornberg, Connecticut
# 9,195:
3:33 pm PDT, Sep 3, Wayne Sygman, New York
# 9,194:
9:28 pm PDT, Sep 2, Denise R. Be Cotte, California
# 9,193:
6:34 pm PDT, Sep 2, Donn Mensinger, Florida
It is not fair that someone loses there life because of ignorance. LGBT people shoul be protected from these crimes.
# 9,192:
6:11 pm PDT, Sep 2, Ana Corrales, Virginia
# 9,191:
2:33 pm PDT, Sep 2, Abbey Henry, Nevada
# 9,190:
8:28 am PDT, Sep 2, Colleen McGlone, Florida
# 9,189:
4:11 pm PDT, Sep 1, Kelly Kemp, California
# 9,188:
2:08 pm PDT, Sep 1, Cheryl Ehmann, Texas
# 9,187:
11:39 am PDT, Sep 1, Lamont Young, Alabama
# 9,186:
10:34 am PDT, Sep 1, Kevin Johnson, Nevada
# 9,185:
7:25 am PDT, Sep 1, Suzanne Watson, Ohio
# 9,184:
6:54 pm PDT, Aug 31, Karen Mueller-Harder, Vermont
# 9,183:
12:29 pm PDT, Aug 31, NAOMI PLESS, New York
# 9,182:
3:24 am PDT, Aug 31, Name not displayed, Illinois
# 9,181:
8:48 pm PDT, Aug 30, Rachel Neff, North Carolina
# 9,180:
8:15 pm PDT, Aug 30, Cheryl Duffy, Ohio
# 9,179:
8:08 pm PDT, Aug 30, Janice Oscarson, Vermont
# 9,178:
11:57 am PDT, Aug 30, Lynn Ledgerwood, Washington
# 9,177:
11:29 am PDT, Aug 30, Emily Benavidez, Oregon
# 9,176:
8:57 am PDT, Aug 30, Sharon Carrington, Michigan
# 9,175:
7:24 am PDT, Aug 30, Elizabeth Jarrell, Ohio
# 9,174:
10:02 pm PDT, Aug 29, Connie Cavara, Pennsylvania
# 9,173:
9:08 pm PDT, Aug 28, Andrew Cox, North Carolina
# 9,172:
6:21 pm PDT, Aug 28, Dana Radell, Florida
# 9,171:
9:45 am PDT, Aug 28, Cassandra Wilson, North Carolina
# 9,170:
8:21 pm PDT, Aug 27, Rebekkah Crim, Oregon
# 9,169:
6:59 pm PDT, Aug 27, Donna Wildschut, Michigan
# 9,168:
10:51 am PDT, Aug 27, Gail McGlone, Florida
# 9,167:
5:41 pm PDT, Aug 26, Beth Byrd, Illinois
# 9,166:
4:58 pm PDT, Aug 26, Jennifer Kirkwood, South Carolina
A hate crime is a hate crime. A person's sexual preference or idenity should have anything to do with in weither justice is givin or not! You all should feel ashamed! What if your son or daughter was gay... would you be satisfied with the laws if they were in Sean Kennedy's shoes!!! Its just ridiculous.
# 9,165:
4:49 pm PDT, Aug 26, Candy C., Florida
# 9,164:
4:01 pm PDT, Aug 26, J. Roach, North Carolina
# 9,163:
3:54 pm PDT, Aug 26, Nicole Garza, Texas
# 9,162:
10:12 am PDT, Aug 26, Eric Wagner, Pennsylvania
# 9,161:
9:42 pm PDT, Aug 25, Krystal Weilage, Montana
# 9,160:
7:04 pm PDT, Aug 25, Emma Ward, Massachusetts
# 9,159:
5:33 pm PDT, Aug 25, Michelle Brown, Virginia
# 9,158:
4:48 am PDT, Aug 25, Joyce Shatkin, Rhode Island
It goes without saying that we need hate crime laws. Please pass the LLEHCPA.
# 9,157:
4:48 am PDT, Aug 25, Juana Drago, Florida
That is a disgrace...This poor young man & his family...The person who did this should never see the light of day & at the very least he should get a REAL sentence...not a slap in the hand, eligible for parole in 10 months, on the streets a living breathing, violant criminal, getting away with taking a life for no reason at all!!!! Who is the Judge that would pass such a light sentence? It's murder & the Judge's ruling should be considered gross negligence!!!!
# 9,156:
3:35 am PDT, Aug 25, Jodi Souders, California
# 9,155:
11:36 pm PDT, Aug 24, Alyssa Catri, Ohio
# 9,154:
10:35 pm PDT, Aug 24, Becky Smith, Ohio
# 9,153:
10:09 pm PDT, Aug 24, Pamela Richard, California
# 9,152:
9:35 pm PDT, Aug 24, Name not displayed, California
# 9,151:
2:53 pm PDT, Aug 24, Shirley Kressel, Massachusetts
Please protect these innocent people from harm. They are our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. They are human beings. Please give them legal protection.
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