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Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest LGBT civil rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States.


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Petitioning United States Supreme Court, Human Rights Campaign, Marco Rubio, Florida Governor, Florida State Senate, Florida State House, Ron DeSantis, Univision Communications, Federal Bureau of Investigation...

Demand Justice for Darren Rainey

The prior petition for Darren Rainey was closed due to insignificant coverage and attention. Help me resurface this case back up and demand justice for this man who was wrongly killed.  We demand justice for Darren Rainey, a nonviolent offender who was locked in a boiling hot shower for 2 hours by prison guards, leading to his excruciatingly painful death. The prison guards responsible for torturing and killing Darren Rainey must be held accountable. Taken from DailyKos article: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/1/25/1375218/-Prisoner-060954 His name was Darren Rainey and on June 23, 2012, he was boiled alive. In our country. In our name. And paid for, by us. His last known words were: “I can’t take it no more, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.” According to reports, he screamed those words over and over and over again. And then he stopped screaming. After being removed from the shower, staff administered CPR, with one a nurse registering Rainey’s internal temperature at 102 degrees, well above the normal temperature of 98.6. The autopsy report states that 12 hours after his death, Rainey’s body still had a temperature of about 94 degrees. Darren Rainey was a 50 year old, non-violent offender serving a two year sentence for cocaine possession in Florida’s Dade Correctional Institution. He was housed in the psychiatric ward because he was schizophrenic. For reasons unknown, Rainey, a schizophrenic, had smeared feces on himself. When guards told him to clean it up, he refused. He was then hauled off and handcuffed in “the shower”. Scalding water poured over him for up to two hours. While he screamed in agony and for his life, officers reportedly taunted “how do you like your shower?”. When ‘clean up’ was called in, chunks of skin that had separated from his body were part of what remained. According to reporting, “The shower was just one tool the corrections officers used to torment prisoners in the ward, known as the transitional care unit.” Two full years after his death, no-one had been held responsible. According to a June 2014 Miami Herald report: A Herald investigation, first published in May, showed through public records and interviews by witnesses, including a nurse on duty at the time, that Rainey’s death was never properly investigated by the Department of Corrections or Miami-Dade police. Evidence also suggests that the Department of Corrections might have tried to cover up the incident. Update To The Original Diary (Published Last Year)According to the Miami Herald, four years after his death, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office has officially ruled what happened to Darren Rainey’s “accidental”. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s autopsy report, completed this week, concluded that Rainey died from complications of schizophrenia, heart disease and “confinement” in the shower back in June 2012, according to multiple law enforcement sources. Rainey, 50, did not suffer any burns anywhere on his body, and investigators could not conclude that the specially rigged shower was “excessively” hot the day he collapsed, the report said. Sources said the autopsy concluded that corrections officers had “no intent” to harm Rainey when they kept him in the shower for up to two hours.  Got that? A shower that was specifically rigged to scald human beings cannot be proven — years after the fact — to have contributed to Darren Rainey being boiled alive.  The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office must now decide whether to charge corrections officers with committing a crime, such as manslaughter, for locking Rainey in the shower and leaving him. A spokesman declined to comment. A federal criminal investigation is also continuing into Rainey’s death.

Jenny Illarramendi
538,488 supporters
Petitioning Human Rights Campaign

Protect Black Trans Women!

Studies indicated a disproportionately higher recorded rate of Black trans women being murdered in the United States. There are several factors that affect the livelihoods of Black trans women: denial of healthcare, rejection from loved ones, homelessness, survival sex work, the list goes on. Though seemingly unrelated, the perpetuation of these denials of personhood only further to put trans women of color in danger.  In a privatized healthcare system like here in the United States, healthcare is not exactly seen a human right, but rather a privilege. Even then, just this past month that privilege became restricted to transgender individuals after the Affordable Care Act was overturned to explicitly remove the prohibition of gender identity discrimination, arguing it was to protect religious freedom which in turn could reaffirm the Trump Administrations use of religious freedom to codify discrimination. When setting this kind of example at the federal level, it sets the precedent that trans people are not people to be respected or listened to. Denial of healthcare is just the first step in the othering of transgender people. It’s a dangerous slippery slope that opens the floodgates for more heinous acts of violence towards an already disadvantaged group of people. In 2018, seventeen Black transgender women were reportedly killed; there are still a couple months left in the year and we have already surpassed last year’s count. One in ten trans people are attacked every year. Half of the transgender population are survivors of sexual assault. Black trans women are more likely to be fired due to their gender identity, 1 in 4 in comparison to the 1 in 6 non-Black trans people. They are also three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the United States population. Long story short, Black trans women have the short end of every stick and through illuminating White and/or cisgender people on the issues they do not normally face we can all fight for better treatment and protections for Black transgender women. Black transgender women are of most disenfranchised groups of people in the United States. This campaign has been created to spread awareness to the people who may not face the disadvantages that the intersection of Black and transgender and feminine do face day to day. 

Tiana Figueroa
278,042 supporters
Petitioning LAPD, Adam Schiff, Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Dianne Feinstein, Human Rights Campaign, Justin Eisenburg, Cory Palka, Steven D. Lurie

Justice for Joslyn, Jaslene, and Eden.

In the early morning of August 17th, Joslyn, Jaslene, and Eden, were physically assaulted and robbed in Hollywood, California. There are a series of videos that have been posted and suddenly taken down by the very same men that attacked them, where they are seen assaulting, robbing, and humiliating the three women. Joslyn, Jaslene, and Eden are trans women of color. A crowbar, a bottle, and even a bike were amongst some of the objects that were used to threaten and hurt the women. The bottle was broken onto Jaslene’s head in which briefly knocked her unconscious. The girls begged for bystanders to call the police, more so when one of the girls was momentarily unresponsive, but all people did was record them on the ground and laugh at them. In a very divisive world, especially in today's social climate, let us not forget about the trans community, for they have the dimmest voices as they are not amplified enough and are often excluded. Please sign this petition and help me demand justice for JoslynFlawless, Jaslene WhiteRose, and Eden The Doll. On behalf of all of the loved ones of Joslyn, Jaslene, and Eden, we demand this justice. All of the men involved and responsible for these inhumane acts of violence must be arrested, interrogated, and charged for assault, robbery, and attempted murder. Violence against all women should not be tolerated.  UPDATE*** After a suspenseful investigation, the outcome of the incident was that the men were released on bail and the charges have been dropped. Joslyn, Jaslene, & Eden spoke with the D.A over the phone where he explained to them that they would have to review the evidence once again to further the investigation. A completely unnecessary and poor excuse to force accountability onto the men who attacked 3 Trans Women in Hollywood.  

Stephanie M.
249,889 supporters
Petitioning NC Senator Jeff Jackson, North Carolina State House, NBC, ABC, United States Supreme Court, Michelle Obama, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alma Adams, Richard Burr, Human Rights Campaign, Departm...

Stop hit and run drivers who kill Innocent people from receiving bond in North Carolina.

My daughter was involved in an hit and run accident On February 17, 2020 that caused her to lose her life at the scene. A witness was able to identify the suspects and they were arrested several hours later. Mr. Himes and Ms. Kerr were able to post bond 10 hours later and given no conditions on their bond. As of February 18, 2020, the suspects have been out on bond with only a 30 day suspension on Mr. Himes drivers license. Man charged with involuntary manslaughter, DWI after teen killed in northwest Charlotte crash Accident report shows that Mr. Himes was traveling approximately 76 mph in a 35 mph zone while Ms. Wilson was traveling approximately 16 mph making a left hand turn. Mr. Himes and Ms. Kerr were indicted on charges of manslaughter several days later after posting bail of just 10,000 dollars. Currently, they are free in the community to cause harm to more individuals with their reckless behavior. The mother of Maniche Wilson, the 17 year old that was killed in the accident is devoted to change the law in North Carolina concerning drunk drivers who cause fatalities and to deny bond in front of a magistrate judge to keep the offenders in jail. 

LaChelle Walker
245,381 supporters
Petitioning Donald J. Trump, Bernie Sanders, U​.​S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, Kate Brown, Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley, United Nations, U​.​S. Senate, United States Supreme Court, Human Rights Campaign

Make racially motivated crime an act of terror and declare hate groups terrorist

As citizens of the United States and as living beings of the world, it is our responsibility to take responsibility for our future. America was built on the back of inequity and inequality. However, America is a country that that was meant to be created in the ideals that "All men are created equal," yet, as we see now more than ever that fairness has been a dream. We have the opportunity to use our voices to be on the right side of history. Now more than ever, we have the opportunity to create change for the betterment of society and to preserve what is left of the ideals laid within The Constitution. Racism is at the forefront of more violence in this country than any other act. From slavery to Jim Crow and Segregation to the war on drugs and systematic indentured servitude along with mandatory minimum sentencing; covert racism has been a tradition ingrained in our society like hot dogs, baseball, and apple pie. However, there are not strict federal and national laws in place to combat acts of racism. Racist acts and racism is often either simply frowned upon or turned a blind eye towards. I propose that we immediately enact legislation that protects people of all races, colors, creeds, and orientations from heinous and deplorable acts of physical, mental, or emotional racist/hate-motivated act(s) or action(s).  I propose that we make racially motivated crime an act of terror and racist/hate groups terrorist organizations. I propose that we create George's Law to combat domestic racist terrorist. Terrorism as defined by the F.B.I.: International terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored). Domestic terrorism: Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature. I propose we consider the following: Expand the definition of terrorism to cover "domestic racist organizations" Which can be defined: A person who engages in domestic terrorism if they do a racially motivated act that is "dangerous to human life" that is a violation of the criminal laws of a state or the United States, or if the action appears to be race-related to: (i) intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of citizens by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.   Hate groups, including but not limited to The Klu Klux Klan, will be deemed as a terrorist organization and, as such, their members put on federal watch lists and incarcerated as such while being held to the amendments under the Freedom Act. The conviction of Hate crimes come with mandatory minimum sentencing. These crimes may include but not be limited to terror group hand signals, racism rhetoric, distribution and creation of racist propaganda and materials, an act of physical harm to another human being that is in the guise of an act of racist aggression and other racially motivated actions that result in mental, emotional, and bodily harm to an individual(s).  Strick penalties for Conspiracy and Aiding and Abetting acts of racist terror. Under 18 U.S.C. § 2, acts of the perpetrator become the acts of the aider and abettor, and the person aiding, and abetting can be charged with having done the acts himself. Anyone who aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, or procures the commission of a crime is just as punishable as the person primarily responsible for the crime. Law enforcement officers who kill a civilian in the line of duty be immediately taken into the custody of the police department and held without release up to 30 days after the incident or until a full investigation can be completed by obtaining reviewing witness testimony, body-cam footage, and all other means of corroboration. If the officer acted within their rights as law enforcement, they are to be reinstated at the time of completion. If found that the officer has failed to comply with local state and federal law, they will be arrested and detained until a fair and reasonable trial date.  This is simply a high-level overview of what I believe can be an immediate step in the right direction We are at a pivotal point in history. The aim of this petition is to create fairness and equality in the world. We will take this petition to both state and federal governments as well as the President, Congress, Supreme Court and The House of Representatives. Today, as Americans, and people of the world we are faced with making decisions that are going to put us in a position to change not only the shape of our country, but history itself.  Please help us make racially motivated crime an act of terror and racist/hate groups terrorist organizations by creating George's Law. Now is the time to ask yourself what side of history do you want to be on? #MakeRacismTerrorism #GeorgesLaw --- Michael Anthony is an advocate for adult survivors of child abuse, international speaker, and author of Think Unbroken. @MichaelUnbroken

Michael Anthony
226,304 supporters