ST. LOUIS, MO PROMO, Missouri's statewide LGBT advocacy organization, in concert with its peer statewide groups, released a statement, Aug. 15, about the racially charged shooting of Ferguson teen Michael Brown and the nights of unrest that have followed.
Brown, who was African American, was gunned down by officer Darren Wilson, who is white, on Saturday, in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was unarmed and was shot multiple times. Reports indicate his hands were in the air when he was shot. Attorney General Eric Holder has announced the federal government will be investigating the shooting. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has placed the Missouri State Highway Patrol in charge of security following the Ferguson Police Department's militarized response to protestors that has played out on news reports across the nation. Local law enforcement claim Brown was shot while attempting to grab a police officer's gun, and that he was involved in a robbery at a local convenience store prior to the shooting. Witnesses dispute the claims.The shooting has sparked outrage and protests the last five nights.
Full text of PROMO letter:
Over the last several days, our country has been on edge as events have unfolded in the aftermath of the death of 18 yearold Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. This tragedy has made it abundantly clear that the promise of the American dream has not been extended to all the people in our nation. Through social media, as well as in traditional media, we have heard thousands speak out, not just from Ferguson, but from all across the country. These passionate voices have been insistent, unanimous, and unambiguous.
What happened in Ferguson could have happened, and too often does, in any community in the United States.
As organizations representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities, we affirm the thoughtful young voices emerging to speak truth to power as they strive to transform their communities so that no person of color will ever again be targeted simply for walking down the street. As community members, we pledge to stand beside you in this struggle for racial justice. As Americans, we refuse to allow any constitutional protection to be uspended. As individuals, we share your quest for justice and hope that you will invite us to be present as peace and justice prevail.
Community is important, no matter how you define it. We are linked to one another as neighbors, friends, and allies. Let us proceed as such. We will be with you.
In Solidarity:
Basic Rights Oregon
Empire State Pride Agenda (New York)
Equality Alabama
Equality Arizona
Equality California
Equality Federation
Equality Florida
Equality Illinois
Equality Maine
Equality Maryland
The Equality Network (TEN of Oklahoma)
Equality New Mexico
Equality North Carolina
Equality Ohio
Equality Pennsylvania
Equality Texas
Equality Utah
Fair Wisconsin
Fairness West Virginia
Forum for Equality (Louisiana)
Garden State Equality (New Jersey)
Gender Justice Nevada
Georgia Equality
MassEquality
New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA)
One Colorado
OutFront Minnesota
PROMO (Missouri)
South Carolina Equality
Tennessee Equality Project
TransOhio
Wyoming Equality
Earlier this week, the Human Rights Campaign and 16 other LGBT organizations jointly signed a letter expressing support for the family of Michael Brown.
Full text of HRC letter:
When communities experience fear, harassment and brutality simply because of who they are or how they look, we are failing as a nation. In light of the recent events in Missouri, it is clearer than ever that there is something profoundly wrong in our country.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community cannot be silent at this moment, because LGBT people come from all races, creeds, faiths and backgrounds, and because all movements of equality are deeply connected. We are all part of the fabric of this nation and the promise of liberty and justice for all is yet to be fulfilled.
The LGBT community stands with the family of Michael Brown, who was gunned down in Ferguson, Missouri. We stand with the mothers and fathers of young Black men and women who fear for the safety of their children each time they leave their homes. We call on the national and local media to be responsible and steadfast in their coverage of this story and others like itracialized killings that have marred this nation since the beginning of its history. We call on policy makers on all levels of American government not to shrink from action, and we are deeply grateful to Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice for their immediate commitment to a thorough investigation.
At this moment, we are inspired by the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies ... but the silence of our friends.”
ACLU
Center for Black Equity, Inc.
Equality Federation
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
GLAAD
GMHC
Human Rights Campaign
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
National Minority AIDS Council
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance
(NQAPIA) PFLAG National
Pride at Work, AFLCIO
Soulforce
Southerners on New Ground (SONG)
United AIDS