Preventing and Responding to Bias-Motivated Violence Against the LGBTI Community

This IVLP project on Preventing and Responding to Bias Motivated Violence Against the LGBTI Community sought to address this topic by assembling 13 activists, lawyers, and civil society leaders for a two-week study-tour. Their program sought to examine hate crimes legislation in the Untied State; explore how law enforcement agencies work within communities to protect citizens from hate based violence; and provided opportunities to meet with legal aid and other advocacy organizations that support the rights of LGBTI people. In Washington, DC, these IVLP participants were guests at a White House conversation on combating bias-motivated violence against LGBTI persons around the world co-hosted by the Council on Global Equality. In addition, participants met privately with Special Envoy Randy Berry as well as with Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of slain gay college student Mathew Shepard in whose name, along with James Byrd, the US federal legislation on hate crimes is named. Visitors also traveled to Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and to New York, New York.

Read more about this project on Meridian’s blog, The Lead