LGBTQ Organizations Urge New York City Council to Override Mayor Bloomberg’s Opposition to Historic Bill to Ban Discriminatory Profiling by NYPD

National and local groups hail historic protections against profiling based on race, sexual orientation and gender identity; urge legislators to override veto

Today, national and international LGBT organizations - including the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Lambda Legal, the National Black Justice Coalition, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, the   International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, and GLAAD - joined   with local LGBTQ organizations to urge New York City legislators to defend   historic legislation banning discriminatory police profiling against a veto   by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

  "We know all too well the impact that police profiling has on   marginalized communities. LGBT people -- especially transgender people and   LGBT people of color -- are unjustly targeted by law enforcement for   harassment and policing at unbelievably high rates," said Darlene Nipper,   Deputy Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.   "The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds the New York City   Council for passing this historic law and urges all Council Members to stand   up for equality and vote to override Mayor Bloomberg's veto."

  The passage of the legislation made history just hours after the U.S. Supreme   Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act by creating the first   enforceable ban against police profiling based on sexual orientation and   gender identity, alongside race, religion, immigration status, age, gender,   housing status, disability, and HIV status.

  The statement issued by 34 local and national LGBTQ organizations noted that   "from Stonewall to stop and frisk, LGBTQ people - and particularly LGBTQ   people of color, LGBTQ youth, and transgender and gender nonconforming people   - have long been targets of profiling and other forms of discriminatory   policing. The consequences have ranged from death to deportation, assault to   arrest, homophobic harassment to humiliation."

  The statement’s signatories called on legislators to "continue to stand   firm with LGBTQ people and communities of color, and to vote against efforts   to veto this landmark legislation and turn back the clock on this victory.   The safety of LGBTQ New Yorkers depends on it."

  "New York City has an opportunity to be a national leader by ending   profiling that unfairly targets people based on their characteristics,   including LGBT people and all people of color. Lambda Legal's national survey   of police and other government misconduct highlights the ways police   profiling and violence impacts LGBT people and people with HIV," stated   Beverly Tillery, Director of Community Education and Advocacy at Lambda   Legal. "Twenty-five percent of all respondents to our survey with recent   police contact reported at least one type of misconduct or harassment such as   verbal assault, sexual harassment, physical assault or sexual assault.   Respondents of color, those who were low-income, and transgender respondents all   were much more likely to report having experienced at least one type of this   misconduct. These measures are an important step toward building a better   relationship between the NYPD and our communities."

  "Profiling of Black and Brown youth of color, whether we are straight or   LGBTQ, whether we are homeless or live in public housing, whether we are HIV   positive or negative, whether we are immigrants or not, does not make any of   us safer," said Mitchyll Mora of Streetwise and Safe. "We are counting   on the New York City Council to help keep youth of color, including women of   color and LGBTQ youth of color, safe from police profiling of all kinds."

  "Police violence is a pervasive problem facing lesbian, gay, bisexual,   transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in New York City, who are profiled for   their perceived or actual gender identity and sexual orientation," said   Shelby Chestnut, Co-Director of the New York York City Anti-Violence   Project’s Community Organizing and Public Advocacy Department. "Our   clients and community members tell us stories every day about being profiled   by police and subjected to harassment, mis-arrest, violence at the hands of   the police based on their perceived gender identity, sexual orientation, and   immigration status. We applaud the City Council for their leadership in   ending this discriminatory policing and urge them to override the Mayor’s
  veto."

  Make the Road NY member Johanna Vasquez, a Transgender Latina woman resident   of Corona, Queens, said: "About two years ago I was arrested while   waiting for a cab in a corner of Roosevelt Ave. The officers did not tell me   why, but after my case was processed I found out it was on a prostitution   charge, because they had found condoms in my purse. The combination of false   profiling, the use of condoms as evidence and excessive police abuse is   putting our communities in danger. Voting for the Community Safety Act is the   right thing to do to protect people like me, who unjustly get criminalized   because of who we are or how we look. We thank the Council Members who voted   yes and encourage them to stay strong on their decision, in light of Mayor   Bloomberg's unfair veto."

  According to The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs report Hate   Violence Against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected   Communities in the United States in 2012, AVP found that in New York City in   2012 nearly 40% of   survivors interacting with the NYPD reported police misconduct. Reports of   police misconduct increased significantly from 8 in 2011 to 78 in 2012.   The report also found that survivor reports of hostile attitudes from police   doubled in 2012, with 43 reports, up from 21 in 2011.
  "Stigma related to sexual orientation and gender identity continues to   be a driving force of the HIV epidemic in New York City," said Jason Cianciotto, Director of   Public Policy at GMHC. "It is critical that police   committed to protecting all New Yorkers stop harming them through profiling   based on real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and HIV   status."

  "On behalf of the young people we serve at HMI, we commend the New York   City Council for taking on the challenge of police profiling as we all work   together to create a safe environment for their future," said Thomas Krever, Executive   Director of the Hetrick-Martin Institute.
  "Officers of the law and our elected officials have a responsibility to   ensure all citizens, including those who are LGBTQ, can live safely in our   communities without fear of harassment or violence by enacting and enforcing   protections like these," said   GLAAD Acting President Dave Montez. "The time is now."

  "When it comes to the safety of our communities, we must do what’s right   and fair with respect to the NYPD,"   said John Hellman, Director of Advocacy at the Latino Commission on AIDS.   "Profiling and discrimination must be addressed by this important   legislation."

  A vote on the Mayor’s veto is expected in August of this year. For more   information please visit: http://changethenypd.org/about-community-safety-act

  The full statement and list of signatories is below.

STATEMENT FROM LGBTQ   ORGANIZATIONS TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL:

Dear New York City   Council,

We commend the New York   City Council for leading the way toward putting an end to
discriminatory policing of   all of our communities by passing a comprehensive and enforceable
ban on police profiling   and establishing independent oversight of the New York City Police
Department.

We congratulate New York   City for making history by prohibiting police profiling based on
sexual orientation and   gender identity by law, along with race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender,
housing status,   immigration status and disability, including HIV status.

From Stonewall to stop and   frisk, LGBTQ people - and particularly LGBTQ people of color,
LGBTQ youth, and   transgender and gender nonconforming people - have long been targets of
profiling and other forms   of discriminatory policing. The consequences have ranged from death
to deportation, assault to   arrest, homophobic harassment to humiliation.

Every person, regardless   of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, must be able to
walk the streets without   fear for their safety, including fear of police profiling and discriminatory
policing practices.   Profiling - whether it’s based on race, religion, sexual orientation, or   gender
identity - has no place in   our society.

We thank you for your   courage in protecting our right to safety while protecting our right to be
free from discrimination   in all its forms, including by police charged with protecting us. We urge
you to continue to stand   firm with LGBTQ people and communities of color, and to vote against
efforts to veto this   landmark legislation and turn back the clock on this victory. The safety of
LGBTQ New Yorkers depends   on it.

Ali Forney Center
Audre Lorde Project
Black and Pink
BreakOUT
Brooklyn Community   Pride Center
Callen-Lorde
Center on HIV Law and   Policy
Community United   Against Violence
Equity Project
FIERCE
Gay, Lesbian and   Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Gay Mens' Health   Crisis (GMHC)
Gay Straight Alliance   Network
GetEQUAL
GLAAD
Hetrick-Martin   Institute (HMI)
International Gay and   Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
Lambda Legal
Latino Commission on   AIDS (LCOA)
The Lesbian, Gay,   Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of New York
Make the Road New York
National Black Justice   Coalition (NCBJ)
National Coalition of   Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP)
National Center for   Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
National Center for   Transgender Equality (NCTE)
New York City   Anti-Violence Project (AVP)
New York State LGBTQ   Domestic Violence Network
National Gay and   Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
Providence Youth   Student Movement (PRYSM)
Queerocracy
Queers for Economic   Justice (QEJ)
Streetwise and Safe   (SAS)
Sylvia Rivera Law   Project (SRLP)
Transgender Legal   Defense and Education Fund (TLDEF)

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About GLAAD: The   Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of   the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding   the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping   grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the   stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes   understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more   information, please visit http://action.glaad.org/site/R?i=6R5S4S7Iy3NfLys8PCDhbw or   connect with GLAAD on Facebook and Twitter.