Media may contact: Alison Gardner, alison@venusplusx.org, 202-290-7077
DC TRANSGENDER DAY OF ACTION, Washington, DC
November 17, 2011
These GOALS and DEMANDS are based on community concerns regarding the Transphobic and Homophobic culture within the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO), and City Government.
They are being hand-delivered on this day to Washington’s Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier, US Attorney Ronald Machen, Mayor Vincent Gray, and all 13 City DC Councilmembers by well-organized, determined community allies with the expectations that this crisis warrants.
Everyone must do their part to confront and end these injustices in our nation’s capital.
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GOAL 1. Help create a police force that is competent and sensitive to issues facing the DC Trans community.
DEMAND 1. The entire police force must be trained on existing laws and protocols to protect the Trans community within the next 18 months.
GOAL 2. Institute measures and changes in due process for the MPD and the USAO to take seriously crimes against Trans DC residents.
DEMAND 2. MPD and the USAO must close the disparity gap between the clearance rate of crimes against the Trans community and crimes in DC as a whole (20% versus >80%+, respectively) between now and the end of 2012. This should be done by increasing the number of staff-hours devoted to these languishing cases, and creating better relations with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans community to increase cooperation.
DEMAND 3. Starting immediately, MPD must ensure that the police force upholds the DC Human Rights Law and General and Special Orders by seriously adhering to police discipline standards and holding accountable those found to be in violation.
GOAL 3. Create sustainable systems to assemble more accurate statistics regarding violent crimes against the Trans community.
DEMAND 4. Starting immediately, MPD must increase and formalize efforts to accurately track and report crimes against Trans people, including use of the victim’s or perpetrator’s preferred gender identity pronouns, preferred name, and the facts of the crime.
GOAL 4. End forever all “Prostitution Free Zones” which turn popular city locales that all residents should enjoy into sanctioned police profiling zones where daily unjust actions against Trans residents occur.
DEMAND 5. The DC City Council must take immediate measures to eradicate the unjust and unconstitutional Prostitution Free Zones no later than March 1, 2012, starting with defeating the current proposed Act destined to make these zones permanent.