Lgbtq+ hate crimes protections in Oklahoma Now

The State of Oklahoma and the City of Tulsa do not have hate crime protections for LGBTQ individuals. The recent incident of vandalism at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center can not be prosecuted as a hate crime because Oklahoma does not acknowledge that hate bias exists against LGBTQ individuals. Oklahoma legislators have actively resisted any attempt to enact statutes protecting LGBTQ victims of hate bias crimes of violence, vandalism and harassment. Join us on Friday, March 10th at 5:00 pm for a rally and a protest march calling for Hate Crimes protections for the LGBTQ community. Participants will rally at the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center starting at 5:00 pm. We will march to Tulsa City Hall beginning at 5:30 p.m. leaving the Equality Center and utilizing the sidewalks and gather for a rally at 2nd Street and Cincinnati. We call upon our allies and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Gender non-conforming Oklahomans to march with us. Please bring your signs and banners calling for HATE CRIMES PROTECTIONS NOW. We want sexual orientation, gender identity and expression added to the hate bias category which is now limited to religion, disability, gender, ethnicity and race. Race accounts for 50% of the hate bias crimes. In 2013 the most recent figures provided by the U.S. Justice Department says that 21.6% of the reported hate crimes were because of bias based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. We call upon our public officials, community leaders, and the citizens of our state to acknowledge LGBTQ lives are valuable, and that they must speak out against violence and vandalism and harrassment when it occurs. Public policymakers must move quickly to denounce and condemn acts of discrimination and violence and vandalism and enact ordinances and state statutes protecting LGBTQ people. Law enforcement and media must respectfully and accurately identify victims of violence and discrimination with names and pronouns in line with their current gender identity. Expanded Non-discrimination protections, in employment, housing, public accommodations are also critical to protecting LGBTQ Oklahomans. Contact person: Jose Vega jose.vega@okeq.org 918-813-8993