NAACP President Benjamin Todd Jealous addresses hate crimes at the NYC LGBT Center

September 22, 2010 - New York, N.Y. -- Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President and CEO, made a historic visit to New York's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Community Center, where he met with more than 150 members of the community, answered questions, and implored attendees to join One Nation Working Together in Washington. D.C. on October 2 in what "The Gay City News" described as "one of the broadest, most-inclusive progressive coalitions ever assembled."

In this clip, a young woman tells Mr. Jealous about the September 13th murder of her friend, Victoria Carmen White, a trans woman, and asks that the NAACP help, "So that one day poor black trans woman all over the world can die of old age." Jealous, moved by her story, discusses the hate crimes experienced by his own gender non-conforming adopted brother.

The One Nation Working Together movement, a partnership of nearly 300 human and civil rights organizations, environmental, ethnic, labor, peace, youth, student and faith-based organizations, is bringing hundreds of thousands to Washington, D.C. on October 2 to demand jobs, justice and a quality public education for all. It's statement of policy principles includes specific demands to end discrimination against LGBT people including:

* Prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex.
* Expand anti-discrimination laws to be inclusive of everyone.
* Respect all families.
* End all forms of workplace discrimination.
* Provide all children equal access to high quality education in a safe environment.
* End all forms of discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of housing.

The visit to the Center was the first for a president of the NAACP, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Also in attendance was New York State NAACP President, Hazel Dukes.

Stuart Appelbaum, Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union President, Glenda Testone, Executive Director, LGBT Community Center and Jeffery Campagna, founder of The Power and Director of the ONWT New York State LGBT Desk, shared their excitement about the One Nation Working Together movement and urged all attendees to join together in Washington, D.C. next Saturday, October 2 . The discussion was co-sponsored by One Nation Working Together, "The Gay City News", The Power and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• LGBT
• NAACP
• civil rights
• ONWT
• RWDSU
• AVP