SF: Hate crime vigil

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*SAN FRANCISCO** LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER** *

*COMMUNITY ACTION ALERT*

*Contact: *

Jennifer V.
Community Programs Coordinator
The San Francisco LGBT Community Center
415-865-5649

*What: **Candlelight Vigil for Lawrence King*

*When:** Tuesday February 19th, 6:00PM *

*Where: **The San Francisco LGBT Community Center *

* 1800 Market Street, San Francisco *

*(**San Francisco** – February 18, 2008**) *The San Francisco LGBT Community
Center (the Center) and community partners wish to express their deep sorrow
regarding the death of Lawrence King, a junior high school student in
Oxnard, CA. The 15-year-old victim was shot at E.O. Green Junior High
School on Tuesday, February 12th, and was taken off life support Friday,
February 15th. Authorities are now prosecuting his murder as a hate crime,
as King was perceived to be gay and gender non-conforming, and had been
ridiculed and harassed by some classmates.

Community members are invited to assemble at the Center on Tuesday, February
19th, at 6:00pm, where a candlelight vigil will be held in the memory of
Lawrence and others who have been victims of hate violence. During the
vigil, community members will also be advocating for safer schools.

In addition, a community altar has been erected in the main lobby of the San
Francisco LGBT Community Center, where individuals are welcomed to place
mementos and personal items honoring King and other victims of hate
violence.

"We in the LGBT community are profoundly saddened by this murder. Violence
against young people resonates deeply for all of us – not only for young
people being harassed today, but also for so many adults who were not
accepted when they were young," said Rebecca Rolfe, Interim Executive
Director of the Center. "This is a tragic reminder that we have plenty of
work to do to ensure the safety and acceptance of LGBT youth, who are coming
out younger and in greater numbers than ever before."


*The Lawrence King Community Vigil is Sponsored by :*
* *
*Community United Against Violence*: working to end violence against and
within the LGBTQQ communities, providing free and confidential counseling,
advocacy, and education in English and Spanish. CUAV's crisis line is (415)
333-4357. http://www.cuav.org

*GSA Network*: a nonprofit organization, governed by youth and adults, that
empowers youth activists to fight homophobia and transphobia in schools
through Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. There are currently more than 650 GSA
clubs in California schools, including more than 45% of the public high
schools and about a dozen middle schools or junior highs in the state.
http://www.gsanetwork.org

*LYRIC *(Lavender Youth Recreation and Information Center): whose mission is
to build community and inspire positive social change through education
enhancement, career trainings, health promotion, and leadership development
with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth,
their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.
http://www.lyric.org

The *San Francisco LGBT Community Center*:* *serving as the nexus of the
LGBT community in the Bay Area. The Center provides San Francisco with a
vast array of programs and services for LGBT people, their friends and
families. Additionally, The Center is home to a dynamic range of
organizations and activities that support individual LGBT people of every
race, gender, age and socio-economic status. Each month, The Center serves
over 9,000 visitors and hosts more than 400 events. http://www.sfcenter.org

The *Transgender Law Center: *a civil rights organization advocating for
transgender communities through direct legal services, education, community
organizing, and policy and media advocacy. http://www.transgenderlawcenter.org