The Trans-Latin@ Coalition has come up with a letter to send to the Department of Justice to address the violence against transgender women in Puerto Rico. The letter is a response to the ongoing deaths and human rights violations of trans women in Puerto Rico, and we need to urge the U.S. to uphold civil rights. Several organizations have signed on in support of this letter. Please ask your agencies to sign on to this letter so that we can eliminate these atrocities, do not miss the opportunity of your agency being included. Email your information and organizations information by Tuesday, August 3rd to:
Babmy Salcedo bsalcedo@chla.usc.edu, CC
lgbttobacco@gmail.org let us know if your able to support.
We ask that you forward this widely to your contacts, lets get as many organizations signed on to this letter as possible…
July 13, 2010
Mr. Thomas E. Perez
Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Office of the Assistant Attorney General, Main Washington, D.C. 20530
Dear Mr. Perez,
The purpose of this letter is to ask you to address the acts of violence that are continually happening in Puerto Rico. Since 2009, there have been four brutal murders involving transgender women. These horrific incidents have specifically targeted a vulnerable population. Local authorities and law enforcement agencies continue to blame transgender women for these incidents, encouraging further violence against this community.
It is our government’s responsibility to protect everyone, including the LGBT community and given the numbers of these types of crimes we ask for a strong and quick response. The civil rights of transgender individuals in Puerto Rico are being violated by not being fully protected by local authorities. In addition, there are no protective laws that specifically address the civil rights of transgender individuals in Puerto Rico.
We need to make sure that the civil rights of transgender people are not violated. We ask that you work with the Puerto Rican government to ensure that the Puerto Rican government protects the civil rights of the transgender community. We ask that you exercise your oversight power to ensure the safety of transgender women in Puerto Rico.
Please contact Bamby Salcedo Trans-Latin@ Coalition at: tubamby@hotmail.com<mailto:tubamby@hotmail.com> should you have any questions.
Supporting agencies: Equality California, Radical Women, Mad Clik, Inc Gay & Lesbian Rainbow Pages, The National Latino AIDS Action Network, St. Johns Well Child and Family Centers, The Los Angeles Drug and Alcohol Task Force, Lower East Side Harm Reduction Center in NY, Drug Policy Alliance, The Transgender Law Center, Bienestar Human Services, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Pacientes de Sida pro Politica Sana, The Red Circle Project, APLA, Unid@s The Latin@ LGBT Civil Rights Organization.
Bamby Salcedo
Transgender Harm Reduction
Project Coordinator
Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
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