November 18th, 2009 – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, today condemned the brutal murder of Jorge Steven López, 19, in Cayey, Puerto Rico. López’s body was discovered on an isolated road, dismembered and burned, last Friday. Late Monday night, police arrested Juan A. Martinez in connection with the crime. Puerto Rican media outlets report Martinez confessed to killing López after discovering his female gender presentation did not match his male sex, and that Martínez plans to use a “gay panic/trans panic” defense in court.
“We are all grieving the loss of Jorge López,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Juan Martinez apparently believes Jorge’s sexual orientation and gender expression justify this horrific crime. It’s clear, however, that prejudice and hate are the true motivations. HRC stands in solidarity with Jorge López’s family and friends, our sister advocacy organizations, and the LGBT community in Puerto Rico and throughout America in calling for a full and thorough investigation of his murder as a hate crime under appropriate Commonwealth and Federal hate crimes laws.”
Puerto Rico added sexual orientation to its hate crimes law in 2002. Additionally, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, signed into law by President Obama last month, added sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal statutes and could be invoked to provide local authorities with additional resources to investigate and prosecute the case. HRC has been in contact with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division since news of López’s murder became public.
“,””
“2009-12-0″,”Human Rights Campaign Releases New Employer’s Guide To Adoption Benefit Programs”,”Social & Civil Issues,Issue Number,Dec 2009,Human Rights Campaign,Year”,”45″,”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, announced the release of a groundbreaking resource “Adoption Benefit Programs: LGBT Considerations for Employers,” which provides standards and guidelines for insuring equity for all employees who adopt. The release is timed to coincide with National Adoption Month, which raises awareness about the thousands of children and youth in foster care waiting for a “forever family.” To download the guide visit: www.HRC.org/AdoptionBenefits.
“Leading employers know that providing optimal benefits for all employees is simply good business, and the right thing to do,” said Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Joe Solmonese. “With the release of this resource we highlight the key role employers can play in making adoptions possible for LGBT parents and the children that need them.”
Nearly 500,000 children and youth are in foster care in the U.S., 130,000 of which await permanent families today. Over 20,000 exit the foster care system as adults without ever finding a family. While studies show nearly 4 out of 10 Americans have considered adoption, many are concerned that the costs will be an obstacle. Adoption benefits are a growing trend among businesses — more U.S. employers than ever now offer them, according to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
“Providing benefits to families who adopt not only creates goodwill among employees but a sense of parity with families who receive benefits when they create or expand their families through birth,” said Rita Sorenen, Executive Director of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “For families who adopt from foster care, it is particularly meaningful to have additional supports, such as paid leave, in place. And as Dave Thomas always said, ‘For employers, proving adoption benefits is not only the smart thing to do, it is the right thing to do.'”
The HRC Family Project’s All Children – All Families initiative, a program aimed at finding permanent families for children by promoting LGBT cultural competence among child welfare professionals, is celebrating National Adoption Month with a blog series throughout November and a national web chat on LGBT adoption that will take place on November 19 from 3 to 4:30 PM EST.
“LGBT families are a wonderful and often untapped resource for children and youth in need of stable, loving homes. Our goal is to chip away at all of the inequities and obstacles that prevent us from pursuing adoption, and this new resource gives us a great step forward in that effort,” said Ellen Kahn, Director of HRC’s Family Project.
Enviroshop is maintained by dedicated NetSys Interactive Inc. owners & employees who generously contribute their time to maintenance & editing, web design, custom programming, & website hosting for Enviroshop.