WASHINGTON, DC --The nation's most influential African-American civil rights organizations have joined together with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to call for an investigation into the death of U.S. Sailor August Provost, 29, found dead at Marine Corps Camp Pendleton.
The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), America’s only nationwide Black civil rights organization focused upon lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues is joined by the Black Leadership Forum (BLF), an alliance of over thirty national African-American civil rights and social service organizations in denouncing the incident.
In an historic move, NBJC reached out to BLF member organizations which include the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, National Urban League, National Council of Negro Women, 100 Black Men, Inc., and several others to join forces to stand for equality and against discrimination and hatred toward ALL African-Americans.
Provost, who lived in Houston, joined the Navy in March 2008 and was assigned to a Camp Pendleton-based team of air-cushioned landing craft that carry troops and equipment from the sea on to the shore. Provost, who was openly gay, kept his private life quiet for the most part but recently complained to family members about a person who was harassing him after postings on his myspace and facebook internet pages in which referenced dating men and identified another Houston man as “the love of my life.”
We are deeply troubled by the continuing pattern of incidents across the country –hate crimes, police misconduct, and racial intimidation – that are all-too-often tolerated and ignored by law enforcement officials and courts. Moreover, despite significant progress in the treatment of LGBT people, the targeting of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals remain a persistent and widespread problem in the US.
When faced with the abuse of individual civil rights we look to our law enforcement departments not only to guarantee that those engaging in such actions are held accountable for their behavior, but to send a distinct message from the highest levels of government that such conduct has no place in our American society.
Swift and firm action will demonstrate that our hard-fought federal civil rights laws are not mere empty promises, but will be strictly enforced to guarantee all Americans the full and equal protection of our nation’s laws.
The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Our mission is to end racism and homophobia. NBJC envisions a world where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly in family, faith and community, regardless of race, gender-identity, or sexual orientation.
