Activists protesting sometimes fatal violence against transgender people briefly shut down a busy intersection near the Beverly Center yesterday afternooon.
The rally, organized by FAMILIA: Trans and Queer Liberation Movement and the TransLatin@ Coalition and supported by the National LGBTQ Task Force, began about 5 p.m. at the intersection of La Cienega Boulevard and Third Street.
Several dozen people took part and some briefly blocked the intersection, said Los Angeles police Officer Jane Kim, but there were no reports of arrests.
The protest, dubbed the “Spring into Love Rally,” was organized to call for an end to violence against and killings of transgender and gender non- conforming people in Southern California and throughout the country, according to organizers.
“Eight transgender and gender non-conforming people have been murdered across the U.S. this year alone,” said Kylar Broadus, Transgender Civil Rights Project Director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. “This epidemic of violence must end and we urge everyone to join us in creating a safe, just and equitable society free from discrimination and prosecution.”
Bamby Salcedo, president of the TransLatin@ Coalition, said more must be done to protect against such violence and discrimination.
“We call on federal and local governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses to join us in stopping these senseless murders, Salcedo said.
@Rick Watts: There have already been more than 11,000 homicides in the United States this year. That means the homicide rate against transgenders is less than the homicide rate overall. So what is your point?
PS: According to UCLA’s Williams Institute, self-identified transgender persons comprise about .3 percent of the USA population. If Americans writ-large were to be murdered at the same rate as those 8 represent as a percentage of the transgender population, the death toll would be almost 2,700 for those 3 month; or almost ELEVEN THOUSAND over the full year! Does ANYone doubt that if 11,000 Americans were murdered on the streets just because they self-identify as American, that EVERY ONE of us–from the most ardent “lefty” to the most right-wing Rebublican–would be marching in the streets and DEMANDING that politicians and… Read more »
It doesn’t take a mind-reader or a librarian to know that there are PLENTY of crimes that ought to have been charged as hate crimes but that weren’t–because the local DA or the detective or officers had their own biases. Certainly not in all–or even most. But they do exist, just as racism, homophobia and other forms of bigotry continue to exist even today. If you think it only happens “over there” or “back then” you just aren’t paying attention. No one is arguing that thought is a crime: Don’t over-generalize and try that red herring on us (We’re not… Read more »
“Because law enforcement officials refuse to acknowledge the motivation”
Are you privy to someone’s motivation in a crime?
Like Alison, I don’t agree with any violence towards innocents
“hate crime” and thought crime are one and the same
as nasty as some people are
as much vitriol flows in their veins
thoughts are not a crime
nor should they be in the US of A
if so, I know a few muslims here that should be arrested for their true hate of westerners and thinking of us as infidels deserving of death
just sayin
Allison: Those 8 are the only ones reported–and just in the USA, and in just the first 3 months. Too many additional victims simply don’t show up in the official statistics either because law enforcement officials refuse to acknowledge the motivation or the aggravating circumstance that escalated the act to murder–or “loved” ones/family choose to not speak out. Add to that the FAR MORE FREQUENT incidents of violence that does not result in death that also go under-reported for the above-stated reasons. Add to THOSE the numbers of transgender persons who are impacted simply by the intimidation and fear of… Read more »
8 deaths nationally in 3 months is not an epidemic, sorry. I would like to see the end of violence to ALL, not just trans and gender non-conforming people. IMHO, to much emphasis is put on “gender” today. There is just to much violence in our culture and THAT is what everybody should be working against.