Hill Briefing on LGBT Hate Crimes: International and U.S. Perspectives
September 22, 2008
Caucus Co-Chairs, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Barney Frank (D-MA), along with Caucus Members Howard Berman (D-CA) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), sponsored a briefing on LGBT hate crimes covering both international and U.S. perspectives. Speakers included:
- Mark Bromley, Chair, Council for Global Equality
- Tad Stahnke, Director – Fighting Discrimination Program, Human Rights First
- Michael Lieberman, Director, Civil Rights Policy Planning Center, Anti-Defamation League
- Robert Casey, Section Chief, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, FBI
- Greg Scarbro, Unit Chief, Crime Statistics Management Unit, FBI
- Laurie Young, Policy Analyst, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
- David Stacy, Senior Public Policy Advocate, Human Rights Campaign
People around the world face violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. State Department’s 2007 Human Rights Report lists human rights concerns relating to sexual orientation and gender identity in more than 100 different countries, many of which the U.S. considers to be close friends and allies. According to a new Human Rights First report studying hate crimes laws and monitoring and reporting systems, a majority of European governments receive a poor grade in their efforts to tackle LGBT hate crimes.
In addition to the U.S. State Department’s eighteen-year record of reporting on human rights violations impacting LGBT communities abroad, U.S. law provides for the collection of disaggregated data on hate crimes based on sexual orientation here at home. In fact, the FBI’s hate crime data collection program has been highlighted as a model in international efforts to improve responses to hate crimes.
Panelists addressed current hate crimes laws and government responses here in the U.S. and around the world, as well discuss their work to establish a common framework for improving responses to hate crimes within the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
You can see pictures of the briefing here and listen to a recording of the briefing here.
