Speaking out against stop & frisk, racial profiling

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Stacey Long was among those who participated in today’s press conference in front of the historic Stonewall Inn, where a backlash against police  harassment in June 1969 launched the modern LGBT rights movement. She joined representatives from civil rights, labor and other LGBT groups to show solidarity and support for the growing campaign against stop and frisk, and participation in the Father’s Day silent march against racial profiling.

Long, the Task Force’s director of public policy and government affairs, says:

 We stand united against racial profiling and police harassment on the basis of a person’s identity. LGBT people, especially those of color, know painfully well what it’s like to be targeted and demeaned in this way. Just as there was no sound reason to raid the Stonewall Inn in 1969, there is no sound reason to stop and frisk black and Latino men in 2012 simply for being who they are. This must end now.

The Task Force was quoted in a related New York Times article earlier this week. Read it here.

We will also be participating in the June 17 march in New York City against racial profiling. Full details here. Come march with us!

The Task Force has long advocated for racial and economic justice. This includes lobbying for passage of the End Racial Profiling Act,  a federal law that seeks to end racial profiling by law enforcement officials and ensure that individuals are not prejudicially stopped, investigated, arrested or detained based on their race, ethnicity, national origin or religion. We believe the fight for LGBT equality is inextricably tied to the battle to end racism, and we encourage supporters of LGBT rights to work toward racial and economic justice for all.