RUNOFF ELECTION - AUGUST 10

Second Savannah Hate Crime Victim Comes Forward

A second gay man has come forward in Savannah stating that he is the victim of a hate crime. John Takats, a graduate student at the Savannah College of Art and Design, has issued a statement to Georgia Equality stating that he was beaten on the morning of February 27, 2010. According to Takats, his boyfriend had stepped away for a moment when a group of two men and two women approached him. One of the men allegedly asked him what he was looking at and then shouted "faggot" as he swung at him. Takats was hit in the back of the head and kicked until he fell to the ground. At that point the attackers fled the scene. Takats' partner returned to find him lying on the ground.

Although Takats admits that he was scared and did not immediately report the incident to police, he claims that he did attempt to report the attack to police several days later but that they were unresponsive. Takats has attempted to reach the LGBT police liaison this week to discuss the incident with her, but has not yet heard back from her.

He is speaking up now due to the similarities between the attack on him and last weekend's attack on Kieran Daly.

"There is a long history of frustration and mistrust of the Chatham-Savannah Police Department within the local LGBT community," said Kevin Clark, director of Georgia Equality's Savannah Chapter. "There are several past instances of violence against LGBT individuals in the Savannah area in which the local police have been unresponsive or slow to respond. "

Following a request by Georgia Equality on Monday, June 21, federal authorities, including the FBI, began their own investigation into the Savannah incident.

Georgia Equality is calling upon the Chatham-Savannah police to include information from Takats in their ongoing investigation of the attack on Kieran Daly. Georgia Equality is also calling upon our supporters throughout the state to urge the state legislature to introduce and pass a statewide hate crimes bill when the session convenes in 2011. Georgia is one of only five states in the country without a hate crimes statute. Although the passage of the federal Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act provides some level of protection and support, these recent incidents in Savannah point out the importance of providing local law enforcement officials with the tools, training and support they need to fully investigate and prosecute suspected hate crimes that are directed at individuals due to real or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression.

The Savannah Chapter of Georgia Equality, along with a host of other local organizations and activists, held a Rally for Equal Protection to Sunday, June 20 at 2:00pm at Johnson Square in Savannah.

Anti-Bullying Bill Passes Into Law!

A new anti-bullying bill,  which toughens rules on bullying in Georgia schools, has passed the Georgia state legislature . The original bill, House Bill 927 - sponsored by Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta),  was attached as an amendment to Senate Bill 250, a bill dealing with student behavior on school buses.  In the final hours of the 2010 legislative session, the Senate in a vote of 44 to 0, passed anti-bullying legislation into law.

Georgia Equality supporters sent over 300 e-mails to lawmakers, made dozens of phone calls, and lobbied in person at the capitol in support of this important bill.

Thank you so much for taking action, and congratulations - your efforts paid off!  This law is so important in our efforts to protect vulnerable LGBT youth in schools.  Your willingness to act will truly make a difference in the lives of so many.

Highlights of the new law include:

• Sets a January 2011 deadline for the state Department of Education to develop an anti-bullying policy that can be a model for local school systems
  
  
• Requires age-appropriate consequences for bullying from kindergarten through 12th grade - current policies only deal with bullying in sixth through 12th grades
  
  
• Requires school staff to report suspected incidents, and instructs school boards to punish and work to prevent bullying

• Provides that a student can be reassigned to another school for the purpose of separating the student from his or her bullying victim
  
  
• Provides for immediate notification of law enforcement when a student commits an alleged physical assault or battery on another student, teacher or other school employee
  
  
• Defines bullying as threats of injury, displays of force used to intimidate a victim, or written, verbal and physical acts which a reasonable person would perceive as being intended to threaten, harass or intimidate

In 2008 and 2009 Georgia Equality worked with lawmakers to pass anti-bullying legislation, but while it had considerable support, it failed to pass into law.  The suicide last year of Jaheem Herrera, an 11-year-old DeKalb County boy who was reportedly bullied by his classmates calling him gay, and the suicide of a 17-year-old autistic teenager in northwest Georgia helped build support for a tougher law in 2010.

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF YOU WHO TOOK ACTION!