Equality California Condemns Police Shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota

Los Angeles - July 7, 2016 - In response to this week's police shootings of Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile in Louisiana and Minnesota, Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur issued the following statement:

"Along with people of conscience across the country, we are heartbroken and sickened by the brutal shooting deaths by police of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. We extend our deepest sympathy to their families and loved ones. While a thousand miles separated them, like the 123 black people shot by police this year across the country, they were guilty of the same offense: being black in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Police brutality and racism is something that confronts all black Americans. It transcends social class, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, affecting both LGBT and non-LGBT black Americans. 

Equality California stands with the black community and is committed to full equality and social justice for all the communities of which LGBT people are a part - that is, all the diverse communities that give our country its beauty and strength.  It is the responsibility of the LGBT community to speak out against the violence and racism that continues to target black people, and to work to extinguish bigotry and hatred as American values. "

http://www.eqca.org/shootings/

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Equality California is the nation's largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org

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