GetEQUAL Responds to Ferguson Decision

Calls Non-Indictment "Disgusting and Outrageous" and Calls for a "System of Justice We Can All Believe In"

WASHINGTON, DC - November 24, 2014 -- Tonight GetEQUAL -- a national grassroots social justice organization working toward the full equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans -- released the following statement regarding the Ferguson non-indictment:

"Tonight's news from Ferguson is disgusting and outrageous. The profiling and murder of Michael Brown -- and the violation of the human and civil rights of Ferguson residents that has followed and that still continues -- shine a light into the deep racism and criminalization that many Americans experience every day.

"The decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson is yet another example of the devaluation of black lives that occurs each day in cities and towns across the United States. The State Policies and institutions that not only allow but that permit the profiling, harassment, and unjust treatment of any human being -- regardless of who they are, where they live, what they look like, or who they love -- are an affront to the values this country espouses. Tonight we saw that the system of law and order in which we have been taught to trust is, again, unworthy of our trust.

"We call on leaders at every level of government -- from the halls of state legislatures to the Department of Justice, and from the U.S. Congress to President Obama himself -- to speak openly and honestly about the institutional racism present within the criminal justice system, to actively address it with clear and actionable steps, and to finally create a system of justice that we can all believe in.

"The GetEQUAL community is dedicated to fighting for justice -- and we stand firm with those in Ferguson and beyond who are fighting back against a system that is actively criminalizing our communities.

"Our struggles are not the same, but they are connected. The policies and institutions that give permission to lock up and dehumanize queer black and brown folks are the same policies and institutions that give police officers the right to kill unarmed black men and women without recourse. We stand with families, organizers, and activists in Ferguson in their sadness and anger, and echo their calls for justice and reform in Ferguson and across the country. We are committed to protesting together, building a grassroots movement together, and doing the ongoing work of dismantling these unjust institutions together."

GetEQUAL is a national grassroots organization whose mission is to empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community and our allies to take bold action to demand full legal and social equality, and to hold accountable those who stand in the way. For more information go to www.getequal.org. You can also follow GetEQUAL on Facebook at www.facebook.com/getequal or on Twitter at @GetEQUAL.