The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans killed in bias-motivated incidents increased by 28 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, according to a USA national advocacy group. A just-released National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs report says last year's 29 killings is the highest it has recorded since 1999. The report comes as gay groups show increased frustration at President Barack Obama's gay rights agenda and widespread criticism of a Justice Department brief supporting the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages and doesn’t mandate states to recognize those marriages performed elsewhere in the country. Obama vowed to repeal DOMA as a presidential candidate but he has not taken any action to do so since becoming president in November last year. Obama has also yet to move on repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibiting openly gay people from serving in the armed services.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 7th August 2009 - 3:14pm