Contact:
Earl Fowlkes 202-841-7104 or jrfowlkes@aol.com
''The International Federation of Black Prides Decries the Continued Acts of Violence Against Transgender Individuals in Washington, DC''
In 2006, an analysis from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) titled 50 Under 30: Masculinity and the War on America's Youth, profiled the deaths of 43 transgender individuals between the ages of 13 and 30 finding that the District of Colombia had the highest number of reported incidents of violent acts committed against transgender individuals in the country. Unfortunately, between 2006 and 2011, the District of Columbia still struggles with its ability to stem the tide of violence committed against its transgender residents.
The GenderPAC report found that youth of color account for 91% of victims for which race is known, with Black and Latino victims accounting for the vast majority (85%). This suggests that the intersection of race and gender non conformity is crucial to increasing a young person's vulnerability to fatal assault. ''The murders of Ukia Davis, 18, and Stephanie Thomas, 19, among others and the recent news of off duty D.C. police officer Kenneth Furr who is reported to have fired his service weapon and was charged with driving while intoxicated and assault with a dangerous weapon after a ''confrontation'' with several transgender individuals serve as critical reminders that despite recent gains in LGBT related equality in the District and around the country, much work still needs to be done. I am reminded as we celebrate honoring Dr. King's legacy of civil rights for all people with a statue on the Mall of the words from his famous 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail, ''Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere'' and these acts of violence are just that an injustice, said Earl Fowlkes, President/CEO of the International Federation of Black Prides.
While we certainly applaud and recognize Mayor Gray's recent announcement regarding job training efforts targeting transgender individuals as a positive step towards improving the quality of life for Transgender communities, we must demand for more. Because the basis of what needs to be done has already been adequately presented by GenderPAC, the IFBP simply adds our voice by endorsing their recommendations.
1. Recognize and investigate gender based assaults as hate crimes (police)
2. Respond firmly to gender based bullying and harassment (educators)
3. Report epidemic of gender based violence (media) 4. Ratify laws and policies that track gender based hate (legislators)
5. Reach out and educate local youth on gender and violence (youth, organizations)
''Saving the lives of transgender individuals is not just a legislative or policy issue, it's a people issue and our communities LGBT, heterosexual, African Americans, people of color and all colors, elected and appointed officials, business communities, civic and civil rights organizations, families, our next door neighbors and especially the police officers responsible for protecting us from violence have to stand together against the violence that is ravaging our communities and taking the lives of our young people straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender alike. Together we must be vigilant against these cowardly acts and we must not turn a blind eye to this violence, no matter the perpetrator'', said Dwayne Jenkins, IFBP Board Chair.
The IFBP is the a coalition of Black Pride organizations formed to promote a multinational network of LGBT Pride and community based organizations dedicated to building solidarity, promoting unity, and ensuring the development of education, economic empowerment, and individual and collective work, responsibility, and self determination. IFBP membership consists of over 38 Black pride organizations from the United States, Canada, London and South Africa, making it the largest Black LGBT organization in the United States. Over 300,000 members of the Black LGBT community and other communities attended Black Pride events in 2010. For more information about the IFBP, please visit www.ifbprides.org