'Stop anti-gay, anti-trans violence'
Hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people
and their supporters filled New York's Sheridan Square the
night of Oct. 18 for a rally to mark the anniversary of Mathew
Shepard's murder and demand an end to anti-gay and anti-trans
violence. Many speakers, including a long lineup of political
office holders, called for passage of statewide and national
"hate crimes" laws.
New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project
Executive Director Richard Haymes said that in 1997 there were
five reported anti-gay or anti-trans killings in New York. In
1998 there were 10. So far in 1999 there have already been
12.
Clarence Patton, AVP's director of community organizing and
public advocacy, organized and chaired the rally. He pointed to
placards displaying pictures of victims of anti-gay and
anti-trans violence--including less publicized ones like Peter
Garcia, killed in May 1998. According to Garcia's mother, who
addressed the rally in Spanish, police have refused to assign
any personnel to investigate her son's murder.
--Shelley
Ettinger
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)
HOME :: U.S. NEWS :: WORLD NEWS :: EDITORIALS :: SUBSCRIBE :: DONATE
Email
this article
Printable
page