Southern Alberta Anti Hate Rally
at Lethbridge City Hall
910 - 4 Avenue South
 
Thursday June 24 @ 6 pm

On Saturday, June 12, a young Lethbridge man discovered that his garage had been broken into and his car had been spray painted with homophobic slurs. This kind of discrimination and hateful violence against property and individuals is a painful reminder that homophobia, transphobia and hate continue to plague communities in Alberta.
 
     According to an article in the Lethbridge Herald today, hate crimes in Canada are on the rise.

     Gays targeted in most violent incidents as hate crimes jump by a third in 2008
     Written by The Canadian Press Monday, June 14 2010, 7:06

     Police services are reporting a big jump in hate crimes, and they say gay men are being targeted more often and in the most violent incidents.
     Statistics Canada says police logged 1,036 hate crimes in 2008, up 35 percent from 2007.
     Just over half (55 per cent) were motivated by race or ethnicity, 26 percent by religion and 16 per cent by sexual orientation.
     The agency says all three major categories of hate crime increased in 2008, but the largest increase was among crimes motivated by sexual orientation, which more than doubled from 2007 to 2008.
     Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were also the most violent in nature: 75 per cent of them were violent compared with
     38 percent of racially-motivated incidents and 25 per cent of religiously motivated incidents.
     Among violent incidents motivated by sexual orientation, 85 percent of the victims were male.

“We are outraged by this act of hate,” says Mickey Wilson, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area GALA/LA. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to social justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two spirit and queer (LGBTTQ) people as a cornerstone of safe and healthy communities. I do not believe that the citizens of Lethbridge or southern Alberta would support hateful actions like this.”

ULSU PRIDE President Emma Ladouceur says "We cannot stand idly by while our friends and neighbours suffer at the hands of such mindless hate. This disgusting act was committed against not just one individual but against all queer people and supporters, against human dignity and respect, against love. Our community's voice is louder and our love more powerful than those hateful words, and we will not be silent. "

Wilson encourages the people of Lethbridge and Southern Alberta to attend the rally saying "Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity affects the mental and physical health of LGBTTQ people, their family and friends most directly but it affects the whole community. Violence and hate are unacceptable. We must take this opportunity to increase media and public attention on hate crimes to educate our communities, and continue to fight for a more just and equal community for all people."
 
Standing together in the wake of hate & violence in southern Alberta
 
ADD YOUR VOICE AND
SAY NO TO HATE ON JUNE 24th!
Contact: galalethbridge@gmail.com
 
hosted by GALA/LA & ULSU PRIDE