The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit political organization that defends the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the District of Columbia. The alliance is calling on the Committee of Government Operations and its members to increase funding for the Office of Human Rights (OHR) in order to ensure the rights of LGBTQ people. The GLAA is asking that the Mayor’s OHR funding be increased to include additional investigators, a full-time coordinator for the hate crimes response team, as well as an expansion for its public education and outreach programs.
The OHR’s latest report on transgender individuals found that 48% of employers prefer at least one less-qualified person who is perceived as cisgender over a more qualified person perceived as transgender. Due to this, over 40% of trans people have been denied at least one job because they are perceived as transgender. While OHR is dedicated to its mission of eradicating discrimination, increasing opportunities, and protecting human rights, the GLAA believes this can only be done with the level of funding necessary. Since 2016, hate crimes have doubled, and nearly half of hate crimes in 2018 were based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Mayor has taken the Office of Human Rights with the responsibility of coordinating a team to combat hate crimes, but the GLAA does not believe enough money is being allocated to this vital resource.
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