CALL TO ACTION: Hate Crimes Vigils Held ALL OVER Florida on Saturday April 14th in Memory of Ryan Keith Skipper, Dead at 25 of GLBT Hate Crime
URGENT!!! CALL TO ACTION -- COMMENTARY
Please join us Saturday April 14th for a Statewide Hate Crimes Vigil to draw attention to the epidemic of anti-gay hate crimes in Florida. The vigil is in response to the death of Ryan Keith Skipper, a 25-year-old Polk County man stabbed to death March 15. His body was dumped alongside a road.
According to witnesses, the killers drove around in Ryan’s blood-soaked car, bragging to friends about the murder. William Brown Jr., 20, and Joseph Bearden, 21, have been charged with first-degree murder and are being held in the Polk County Jail. Authorities have labeled Ryan's murder a hate crime.
A dozen local communities from Miami to Pensacola will be participating in the event and times and locations are listed below. If you would like to organize one in your community or if you are willing to volunteer at one of the vigils, its not too late. Please contact Russell Patterson: Russell@eqfl.org or vial phone at 813-849-3919.
[The photograph is of Ryan Keith Skipper from his myspace profile]
The vigils also come at a time that Congress is considering passage of a Federal Hate Crimes Bill. The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 12th.
The Vigils will be held Saturday April 14 at the following locations throughout Florida and Washington, DC:
Winter Haven
1:00 PM
Central Park
Central Ave at 4th and 5th Streets, Winter Haven
Russell Patterson, 813-849-3919, russ@eqfl.org
Daytona Beach (CHANGED LOCATION)
7:00 PM
Home Metropolitan Church, Back Parking Lot
500 South Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118
David Perreault, 386-453-3089, david.perreault@earthlink.net
Tampa
7:00 PM
USF Dream Pool
MLK Jr. Memorial Fountain by the Student Union
Tamara Wasserman 941-626-2164, wasserman2001@yahoo.com
Jacksonville
1:00 PM
UU Church of Jacksonville
7405 Arlington Expressway, Jacksonville, FL
32211uujax@bellsouth.net, churchoffice@uujax.org (904) 725-8133
Clearwater
7:00 PM
On the shores of Peace Pond, Unity Church of Clearwater
2465 Nursery Road (on the south side of Nursery, between Belcher and US 19)
Leddy Hammock, Minister, Unity Church of Clearwater, (727) 531-0992
leddy@unityofclearwater.org
Pensacola
1:00 PM
Holy Cross Metropolitan Community Church
3130 W Fairfield Dr, Pensacola, 32505
Rev Sandy O’Steen, revsandy@holycrossmcc.com (850) 469-9090 www.holycrossmcc.com
West Palm Beach Area & Downtown Lake Worth
6:30 PM
Gather at Town Hall
Dixie and Lake AveThree block vigil walk to park in center of Down Town
Allan Hendricks, 561.541.3700, eqflpbc@yahoo.com
Fort Lauderdale
1:00 PM
Gay and Lesbian Community Center1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
Rev. Frank Faine, frank@sunshinecathedral.org
New Port Richey
10:00 AM
Orange ParkAcross from 6533 Circle Blvd.
Bob Brewer, boxerbob@webtv.net, 727-849-9351
Tallahassee
10:00 AM
Front steps of the old State Capitol Building
Jim Van Riper Alain Raymond, alain@eqfl.org , 904-807-5928
Ocala
8:00 PM
Downtown Square, Ocala
Robert W. Poth III, homes@robpoth.com, 352-697-2522
Key West
7:00 PM
Steps of the Old Custom HouseBase of White Head Street, Key West
Sponsored by GLCC of Key West and NOW
John Andola, jandola@hotmail.com, 305-849-0379
Miami
1:00 PM
Pridelines Youth Services, 180 NE 19th St, Miami
At the corner of NE 19th St and 2nd Ave
Tobias Packer, tobias@eqfl.org, 305-924-6237
Washington, DC
6:30 PM
Dupont Circle Park
Lara Martin, mailto:lsm4u1982@hotmail.com
For more and all information related to these events, please see:
http://www.eqfl.org/
Please join us Saturday April 14th for a Statewide Hate Crimes Vigil to draw attention to the epidemic of anti-gay hate crimes in Florida. The vigil is in response to the death of Ryan Keith Skipper, a 25-year-old Polk County man stabbed to death March 15. His body was dumped alongside a road.
According to witnesses, the killers drove around in Ryan’s blood-soaked car, bragging to friends about the murder. William Brown Jr., 20, and Joseph Bearden, 21, have been charged with first-degree murder and are being held in the Polk County Jail. Authorities have labeled Ryan's murder a hate crime.A dozen local communities from Miami to Pensacola will be participating in the event and times and locations are listed below. If you would like to organize one in your community or if you are willing to volunteer at one of the vigils, its not too late. Please contact Russell Patterson: Russell@eqfl.org or vial phone at 813-849-3919.
[The photograph is of Ryan Keith Skipper from his myspace profile]
The vigils also come at a time that Congress is considering passage of a Federal Hate Crimes Bill. The bill was introduced in the Senate on April 12th.
The Vigils will be held Saturday April 14 at the following locations throughout Florida and Washington, DC:
Winter Haven
1:00 PM
Central Park
Central Ave at 4th and 5th Streets, Winter Haven
Russell Patterson, 813-849-3919, russ@eqfl.org
Daytona Beach (CHANGED LOCATION)
7:00 PM
Home Metropolitan Church, Back Parking Lot
500 South Ridgewood Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118
David Perreault, 386-453-3089, david.perreault@earthlink.net
Tampa
7:00 PM
USF Dream Pool
MLK Jr. Memorial Fountain by the Student Union
Tamara Wasserman 941-626-2164, wasserman2001@yahoo.com
Jacksonville
1:00 PM
UU Church of Jacksonville
7405 Arlington Expressway, Jacksonville, FL
32211uujax@bellsouth.net, churchoffice@uujax.org (904) 725-8133
Clearwater
7:00 PM
On the shores of Peace Pond, Unity Church of Clearwater
2465 Nursery Road (on the south side of Nursery, between Belcher and US 19)
Leddy Hammock, Minister, Unity Church of Clearwater, (727) 531-0992
leddy@unityofclearwater.org
Pensacola
1:00 PM
Holy Cross Metropolitan Community Church
3130 W Fairfield Dr, Pensacola, 32505
Rev Sandy O’Steen, revsandy@holycrossmcc.com (850) 469-9090 www.holycrossmcc.com
West Palm Beach Area & Downtown Lake Worth
6:30 PM
Gather at Town Hall
Dixie and Lake AveThree block vigil walk to park in center of Down Town
Allan Hendricks, 561.541.3700, eqflpbc@yahoo.com
Fort Lauderdale
1:00 PM
Gay and Lesbian Community Center1717 N. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
Rev. Frank Faine, frank@sunshinecathedral.org
New Port Richey
10:00 AM
Orange ParkAcross from 6533 Circle Blvd.
Bob Brewer, boxerbob@webtv.net, 727-849-9351
Tallahassee
10:00 AM
Front steps of the old State Capitol Building
Jim Van Riper Alain Raymond, alain@eqfl.org , 904-807-5928
Ocala
8:00 PM
Downtown Square, Ocala
Robert W. Poth III, homes@robpoth.com, 352-697-2522
Key West
7:00 PM
Steps of the Old Custom HouseBase of White Head Street, Key West
Sponsored by GLCC of Key West and NOW
John Andola, jandola@hotmail.com, 305-849-0379
Miami
1:00 PM
Pridelines Youth Services, 180 NE 19th St, Miami
At the corner of NE 19th St and 2nd Ave
Tobias Packer, tobias@eqfl.org, 305-924-6237
Washington, DC
6:30 PM
Dupont Circle Park
Lara Martin, mailto:lsm4u1982@hotmail.com
For more and all information related to these events, please see:
http://www.eqfl.org/
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