Jurors delivered the guilty verdict in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd, a Black man whose death prompted nationwide protests against police brutality.
In response to today’s announcement of a guilty verdict, the Los Angeles LGBT Center issued the following statement:
“We applaud the twelve people whose decision today brought a modicum of justice to the brutal and senseless killing of George Floyd. The verdict reinforces what the world already knew: the killing of Mr. Floyd was a violent and intentional act that, at its core, was the result of systemic racism that still exists in far too many areas of law enforcement as well as in our larger society. The verdict provides a small ray of hope that we can and must do more to address the issues that make this kind of systemic violence against Black people—and in particular Black men—all too common.
“It is now our collective responsibility to make sure that the verdict is not the end of the story and we all continue working to eradicate all forms of systemic oppression that are a daily experience for so many people of color, women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, and other marginalized and brutalized communities. The Center commits itself to continuing the fight with all of our allies to bring our nation closer to its aspiration of liberty and justice for all.”
###
About the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Since 1969 the Los Angeles LGBT Center has cared for, championed, and celebrated LGBT individuals and families in Los Angeles and beyond. Today the Center’s nearly 800 employees provide services for more LGBT people than any other organization in the world, offering programs, services, and global advocacy that span four broad categories: Health, Social Services and Housing, Culture and Education, Leadership and Advocacy. We are an unstoppable force in the fight against bigotry and the struggle to build a better world; a world in which LGBT people thrive as healthy, equal, and complete members of society. Learn more at lalgbtcenter.org.
